r7i">J^-;«;u»I-'i  jS^if'   'j^sl      1i'*J--'/>*»l"a^f:'^S      /""'I       r'  '   •! 

; Sli (at <5 1,  Gl  15  Ui  , <Sj» Gj, 0> j* t» j, 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE 


YOUNG   YAGERS; 


A  NARRATIVE    OF    HUNTING  ADVENTURES 
IN  SOUTHERN  AFRICA. 


CAPTAIN  MAYNE  REID, 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  BOY  HUNTERS,"   "DESERT  HOME,"   "  BUSH-BO YS,"  ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS,  BY  HARVEY. 


A   NEW   EDITION, 
WITH   A   MEMOIR   BY   R.    II.    STODDARD. 


NEW  YORK: 
THOMAS  R.  KNOX  &   CO., 

SUCCESSORS  TO  JAMES  MILLER, 
817  BROADWAY. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1884,  by 

THOMAS    II  .    K  N  O  X    &     CO., 
in  the  oflleo  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


NEW  YORK,  January  1st.  1S69. 
II  SSRK.  FIKLDR,  Osooon  &L  Co.: — 

I  accept,  the  tenn«  offered,  ami  lie  eliy  f(.nc-<  ilr  tn  ymi  the  ex.  lusivc  riphl  of 
f  l)l;<-iii  ion.  in  the  United  Slates,  of  all  my  juvenile  Tales  of  Adventure,  known 
ac  Hoys'  Is'oveln. 

MAYNE  KEID. 


MEMOIR  OF  MAYNE  REID. 


No  one  who  has  written  books  for  the  young  during  the 
present  century  ever  had  so  large  a  circle  of  readers  as 
Captain  Mayne  Reid,  or  ever  was  so  well  fitted  by  circum- 
stances to  write  the  books  by  which  he  is  chiefly  known. 
His  life,  which  was  an  adventurous  one,  was  ripened  with 
the  experience  of  two  Continents,  and  his  temperament, 
which  was  an  ardent  one,  reflected  the  traits  of  two  races. 
Irish  by  birth,  he  was  American  in  his  sympathies  with 
the  people  of  the  New  World,  whose  acquaintance  he 
made  at  an  early  period,  among  whom  he  lived  for  years, 
and  whose  battles  he  helped  to  win.  He  was  probably 
more  familiar  with  the  Southern  and  Western  portion  of 
the  United  States  forty  years  ago  than  any  native-born 
American  of  that  time.  A  curious  interest  attaches  to  the 
life  of  Captain  Reid,  but  it  is  not  of  the  kind  that  casual 
biographers  dwell  upon.  If  he  had  written  it  himself  it 
would  have  charmed  thousands  of  readers,  who  can  now 
merely  imagine  what  it  might  have  been  from  the  glimpses 
of  it  which  they  obtain  in  his  writings.  It  was  not  passed 
in  the  fierce  light  of  publicity,  but  in  that  simple,  silent 
obscurity  which  is  the  lot  of  most  men,  and  is  their  hap- 
piness, if  they  only  knew  it. 

Briefly  related,  the  life  of  Captain  Reid  was  as  follows : 
He  was  born  in  1818,  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  the  son  of 
a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  who  was  a  type  of  the  class 
which  Goldsmith  has  described  so  freshly  in  the  "  Deserted 
Village,"  and  was  highly  thought  of  for  his  labors  among 
the  poor  of  his  neighborhood.  An  earnest,  reverent  man, 
to  whom  his  calling  was  indeed  a  sacred  one,  he  designed 
his  son  Mayne  for  the  ministry,  in  the  hope,  no  doubt, 
that  he  would  be  his  successor.  But  nature  had  some- 
'thing  to  say  about  that,  as  well  as  his  good  father.  He 
began  to  study  for  the  ministry,  but  it  was  not  long  before 
I 


he  was  drawn  in  another  direction.  Always  a  great  reader, 
his  favorite  books  were  descriptions  of  travel  in  foreign 
lands,  particularly  those  which  dealt  with  the  scenery, 
the  people,  and  the  resources  of  America.  The  spell  which 
these  exercised  over  his  imagination,  joined  to  a  love  of 
adventure  which  was  inherent  in  his  temperament,  and 
inherited,  perhaps  with  his  race,  determined  his  career. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  he  closed  his  theological  tomes,  and 
girding  up  his  loins  with  a  stout  heart  he  sailed  from  the 
chores  of  the  Old  World  for  the  New.  Following  the 
spirit  in  his  feet  he  landed  at  New  Orleans,  which  was 
probably  a  more  promising  field  for  a  young  man  of  his 
talents  than  any  Northern  city,  and  was  speedily  engaged 
in  business.  The  nature  of  this  business  is  not  stated, 
further  than  it  was  that  of  a  trader ;  but  whatever  it  was 
it  obliged  this  young  Irishman  to  make  long  journeys  into 
the  interior  of  the  country,  which  was  almost  a  terra  in- 
cognita. Sparsely  settled,  where  settled  at  all,  it  was  still 
clothed  in  primeval  verdure — here  in  the  endless  reach  of 
savannas,  there  in  the  depth  of  pathless  woods,  and  far 
away  to  the  North  and  the  West  in  those  monotonous 
ocean-like  levels  of  land  for  which  the  speech  of  England 
has  no  name — the  Prairies.  Its  population  was  nomadic, 
not  to  say  barbaric,  consisting  of  tribes  of  Indians  whose 
hunting  grounds  from  time  immemorial  the  region  was ; 
hunters  and  trappers,  who  had  turned  their  backs  upon 
civilization  for  the  free,  wild  life  of  nature  ;  men  of 
doubtful  or  dangerous  antecedents,  who  had  found  it  con- 
venient to  leave  their  country  for  their  country's  good  ; 
and  scattered  about  hardy  pioneer  communities  from  East- 
ern States,  advancing  waves  of  the  great  sea  of  emigration 
which  is  still  drawing  the  course  of  empire  westward. 
Travelling  in  a  country  like  this,  and  among  people  like 
these,  Mayne  Reid  passed  five  years  of  his  early  manhood. 
He  was  at  home  wherever  he  went,  and  never  more  so 
than  when  among  the  Indians  of  the  Red  River  territory, 
with  whom  he  spent  several  months,  learning  their  lan- 
guage, studying  their  customs,  and  enjoying  the  wild  and 
beautiful  scenery  of  their  camping  grounds.  Indian  for 
the  time,  he  lived  in  their  lodges,  rode  with  them,  hunted 
with  them,  and  night  after  night  sat  by  their  blazing 
eamp-fires  listening  to  the  warlike  stories  of  the  braves 
and  the  quaint  legends  of  the  medicine  men.  There  waa 
that  in  the  blood  of  Mayne  Reid  which  fitted  him  to  lead 
this  life  at  this  time,  and  whether  he  knew  it  or  not  i* 
2 


•(located  h?s  genlns  as  no  other  lifo  could  have  done.  It 
familiarized  him  with  a  large  extent  of  country  in  tha 
South  and  West ;  it  introduced  him  to  men  and  mannen 
which  existed  nowhere  else ;  and  it  revealed  to  him  the 
secrets  of  Indian  life  and  character. 

There  was  another  side,  however,  to  Mayne  Reid  than 
that  we  have  touched  upon,  and  this,  at  the  end  of  five 
years,  drew  him  back  to  the  average  life  of  his  kind.  We 
find  him  next  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  began  to  con- 
tribute stories  and  sketches  of  travel  to  the  newspapers 
and  magazines.  Philadelphia  was  then  the  most  literate 
city  in  the  United  States,  the  one  in  which  a  clever  writer 
was  at  once  encouraged  and  rewarded.  Frank  and  warm- 
hearted, he  made  many  friends  there  among  journalists 
and  authors.  One  of  these  friends  was  Edgar  Allan  Poe, 
whom  he  often  visited  at  his  home  in  Spring  Garden,  and 
concerning  whom  years  after,  when  he  was  dead,  he  wrote 
with  loving  tenderness. 

The  next  episode  in  the  career  of  Mayne  Reid  was  not 
what  one  would  expect  from  a  man  of  letters,  though  it 
Was  just  what  might  have  been  expected  from  a  man  of 
his  temperament  and  antecedents.  It  grew  out  of  the 
time,  which  was  warlike,  and  it  drove  him  into  the  army 
with  which  the  United  States  speedily  crushed  the  forces 
of  the  sister  Republic — Mexico.  He  obtained  a  commis- 
sion, and  served  throughout  the  war  with  great  bravery 
and  distinction.  This  stormy  episode  ended  with  a  severe 
wound,  which  he  received  in  storming  the  heights  of  Cha- 
pultepec — a  terrible  battle  which  practically  ended  the 
war. 

A  second  episode  of  a  similar  character,  but  with  a  more 
fortunate  conclusion,  occurred  about  four  years  later.  It 
grew  out  of  another  war,  which,  happily  for  us,  was  not  on 
our  borders,  but  in  the  heart  of  Europe,  where  the  Hun- 
garian race  had  risen  in  insurrection  against  the  hated  power 
of  Austria.  Their  desperate  valor  in  the  face  of  tremen- 
dous odds  excited  the  sympathy  of  the  American  people, 
and  fired  the  heart  of  Captain  Mayne  Reid,  who  buckled 
on  his  sword  once  more,  and  sailed  from  New  York  with 
a  body  of  volunteers  to  aid  the  Hungarians  in  their  struggles 
for  independence.  They  were  too  late,  for  hardly  had 
they  reached  Paris  before  they  learned  that  all  was  over : 
Gorgey  had  surrendered  at  Arad,  and  Hungary  was 
erushed.  They  were  at  once  dismissed,  and  Captain  Reid 
betook  himself  to  London. 

3 


The  life  of  the  Mayne  iteld  In  whom  we  are  most  in- 
terested— Mayne  Reid,  the  author — began  at  this  time, 
when  he  was  in  his  thirty-first  year,  and  ended  only  on 
the  day  of  his  death,  October  21,  1883.  It  covered  one- 
third  of  a  century,  and  was,  when  compared  with  that 
which  had  preceded  it,  uneventful,  if  not  devoid  of  in- 
cident. There  is  not  much  that  needs  be  told — not  much, 
indeed,  that  can  be  told — in  the  life  of  a  man  of  letters 
like  Captain  Mayne  Reid.  It  is  written  in  hia  books. 
Mayne  Reid  was  one  of  the  best  known  authors  of  hia 
time — differing  in  this  from  many  authors  who  are  popu- 
lar without  being  known — and  in  the  walk  of  fiction  which 
he  discovered  for  himself  he  is  an  acknowledged  mas' 
ter.  His  reputation  did  not  depend  upon  the  admiration 
of  the  millions  of  young  people  who  read  his  books,  but 
upon  the  judgment  of  mature  critics,  to  whom  his  delinea- 
tions of  adventurous  life  were  literature  of  no  common 
order.  His  reputation  as  a  story-teller  was  widely  recog- 
nized on  the  Continent,  where  he  was  accepted  as  an 
authority  in  regard  to  the  customs  of  the  pioneers  and  the 
guerilla  warfare  of  the  Indian  tribes,  and  was  warmly 
praised  for  his  freshness,  his  novelty,  and  his  hardy  origi- 
nality. The  people  of  France  and  Germany  delighted  in 
this  soldier-writer.  "  There  was  not  a  word  in  his  books 
which  a  school-boy  could  not  safely  read  aloud  to  hia 
mother  and  sisters."  So  says  a  late  English  critic,  to  which 
another  adds,  that  if  he  has  somewhat  gone  out  of  fashion 
of  late  years,  the  more's  the  pity  for  the  school-boy  of  the 
period.  What  Defoe  is  in  Robinson  Crusoe — realistic  idyl 
of  island  solitude — that,  in  his  romantic  stories  of  wilder- 
aea»  iife,  Is  his  great  scholar,  Captain  Mayne  Reid. 

11.  11. 
4 


CONTENTS. 


«U»  tiU 

I.   THE   CAMP   OF   THE   YOUNG    YAGERS 1 

II.   8WARTBOY  THE  BUSHMAN  AND  CONGO  THE    KAFFIR  9 

III.    HOW    CONGO    CROSSED   A    "  DRIFT  " 15 

*V.    A    BRACE    OF    "  BLACK-MANES  " 22 

V.   LIONS   STALKING   THE   GE1ISBOK    29 

YI.   AN   ANGRY    LIONESS 36 

VII.   HOW   CONGO   THE   KAFFIR    KILLED   A   LIONESS 41 

VIII.  A   SHORT   CHAT   ABODT    LIONS 50 

IX.   THE   UNICORN 55 

X.   THE   CAMEL-BIRDS 61 

XI.   THE   SMALLEST    OF   FOXES 66 

XII.    THE    WINGLESS    BIRDS ?2 

XIII.   THE   FENNEO   AND   THE   OSTRICH   EGGS 83 

XIT.   THE    BLAUW-BOK8 91 

XT.  A    BRUSH   AFTER   THE   BLUE-BUCKS 98 

XVI.   GROOT   WILLEM   GETS   A   TUMBLE 103 

XVII.   A   TOUGH   STRUGGLE 08 

XVIII.   TUB  ARROW-POISON 117 

XIX.   DECOYING    THE   OLD    COCK. 124 

XX.   A   BRUSH   WITH    THE    BRINDLED   GNOO        133 

XXI.  A  BATTLE    WITH   A    BORELE 14) 

XXII     THK    INTERRUPTED    BREAKFAST  ..                                       .  14k 


VI  CONTENTS. 

(TUP.  FA  HI 

XXIII.    THE    OSTRICH    "SURROUND"     153 

XXIV.    THE    ODD    COCK 158 

XXV.    BLESBOKS    AND    BONTEBOK8 162 

XXVI.    STALKING    THE    BLESHOKS 167 

XXVII.    DRIVING    THE    BLESBOKS 172 

xxviii.  HENDRIK'S  HARD  GALLOP 178 

XXIX.  HENDRIK  CHASED  BY  THE  KKI1 LOA 183 

XXX   HENDRIK  IN  A  STATE  OF  SIEGE 190 

XXXI.  A  SINGULAR  ESCAPE 195 

XXXII.  A  VAST  HERD  OF  ANTELOPES 201 

XXXIII.  THE  LONE  MOUNTAIN 206 

XXXIV.  THE  APPROACH  TO  THE  LONE  MOUNTAIN 212 

XXXV.  THE  LITTLE  HYRAX 218 

XXXVI.  THE  KLIPSPRINGERS 224 

XXXVII.  HUNTING  THE  KLIPSPR1NGEB 232 

KXXVIII.  BOLD  BIRDS 240 

XXXIX.  THE  WATERBUCK 246 

XL.  THE  RAVENOUS  REPTILB 251 

X LI.  THE  GUINEA-HENS   259 

XLII.  ROOYEBOK 265 

XLIII.  FOUR-FOOTED  HUNTERS 270 

XLIV.  "  WIDOW-BIRDS  " 277 

XLV.  THE  PIQUE-BCEUFS  285 

XLTI.  CHARGED  BY  MUCHOCHOS ,  .  292 

XLVII.  A  RIDE  UPON  A  RHINOCEROS 297 

ILVIII    JAN  AND  THE  KOORHAANS 303 

XLIX.  GROOT  WILLEM  AND  THE  PYTHON 308 

L.  OROOT  WILLEM'S  GREAT  STRUGGLE  WITH  THB 

SNAKB 313 

LI.  THB  HONEY-GUIDE  AND  HONEY-EATER  320 

LII.  CONCLUSION 337 


THE     YOUNG     YAGERS 


THE    YOUNG    YAGERS 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  CAMP  OF  THE  YOUNG  YAGERS. 

N'EAR  the  confluence  of  the  two  great  rivers  of  South- 
ern Africa — the  Yellow  and  Orange — behold  the  camp 
%f  the  "  young  yagers !  " 

It  stands  upon  the  southern  bank  of  the  latter  stream, 
in  a  grove  of  Babylonian  willows,  whose  silvery  foliage, 
drooping  gracefully  to  the  water's  edge,  fringes  both 
shores  of  the  noble  river  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 

A  tree  of  rare  beauty  is  this  Salix  Babylonica — in 
gracefulness  of  form  scarce  surpassed  even  by  the  palms, 
the  "  princes  of  the  forest. "  In  our  land,  as  we  look 
upon  it,  a  tinge  of  sadness  steals  over  our  reflections. 
We  have  grown  to  regard  it  as  the  emblem  of  sorrow. 
We  have  named  it  the  "  weeping  willow,"  and  draped 
the  tomb  with  its  soft  pale  fronds,  as  with  a  winding- 
sheet  of  silver. 

Far  different  are  the  feelings  inspired  by  the  sight  of 

this  beautiful  tree  amid  the  karoos  of  Southern  Africa. 

That  is  a  land  where  springs  and  streams  are  "  few  and 

far  between ;"  and  the  weeping  willow — sure  sign  of  the 

1 


2  TI1F.    CAMP    OF    TriK    1  OCNG     VAO1K3. 

present  of  water — is  no  longer  the  emblem  of  sorrow, 
but  the  symbol  of  jov. 

J  >y  reigns  in  the  camp  under  its  shade  by  the  bank? 
of  the-noble  Orange  River,  as  is  proved  by  the  continu- 
ous peals  of  laughter  that  ring  clear  and  loud  upon  the 
air,  ai.d  echo  from  the  opposite  shores  of  the  stream. 

Wl.o  are  they  that  laugh  so  loudly  and  cheerfully  r 
77te  young  yagers. 

And  who  are  the  young  yagers? 

Let  us  approach  their  camp  and  see  for  ourselves.  It 
is  night,  but  the  blaze  of  the  camp-fire  will  enable  us  to 
distinguish  all  of  them,  as  they  are  all  seated  around  it. 
By  its  light  we  can  take  their  portraits. 

There  are  six  of  them — a  full  "  set  of  six,"  and  not 
one  appears  to  be  yet  twenty  years  of  age.  They  are 
all  boys  between  the  ages  of  ten  and  twenty — though 
two  or  three  of  them,  and,  maybe,  more  than  that  num- 
ber, think  themselves  quite  men. 

Three  of  the  party  you  will  recognize  at  a  glance  as 
old  acquaintances.  They  are  no  other  than  Hans,  Hen- 
drik,  and  Jan,  our  ci-devant  "  Bush-boys." 

It  is  several  years  since  we  saw  them  last,  and  they 
have  grown  a  good  deal  since  then ;  but  none  of  them 
has  yet  reached  the  full  stature  of  manhood.  Though 
no  longer  "  Bush-boys,"  they  are  yet  only  boys  ;  and 
Jan,  who  used  to  be  called  "  little  Jan,"  still  merits  and 
receives  that  distinctive  appellation.  It  would  stretcb 
Jan  to  his  utmost  to  square  off  against  a  four-foot  meas- 
uring-stick ;  and  he  could  only  manage  it  by  standing 
upon  the  very  tips  of  his  toes. 

Hans  has  grown  taller,  but,  perhaps,  thinner  and  paler. 
For  two  years  he  has  been  at  college,  where  he  has  been 


TBK    \:.\\ll'    OF    THK     YOL'NO     VACJKR8. 

fery  busy  with  his  books,  and  has  greatly  distinguish}* 
himself  by  carrying  otF  tlie  first  prizes  in  everything 
Upon  Hendrik  there  is  a  decided  change.  lie  lias  ou  - 
grown  his  elder  brother  both  in  length  and  breadth,  and 
comes  very  near  looking  like  a  full-grown  man.  He  is 
yet  but  eighteen  years  old,  straight  as  a  rush,  with  a  de- 
cided military  air  and  gait.  The  last  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  as  Hendrik  has  now  been  a  cornet  in  the  Cape 
Mounted  Rifles  for  more  than  a  year,  and  still  holds  that 
commission,  as  may  be  learnt  by  looking  at  his  forage- 
cap, with  its  golden  embroidery  over  the  peak.  So  much 
for  our  old  acquaintances  the  "  Hush-boys  !  " 

But  who  are  the  other  three  that  share  with  them  the 
circle  of  the  camp-fire?  Who  are  their  companions  ? 
for  they  are  evidently  on  terms  of  companionship,  and 
friendship  too.  Who  are  they  ?  A  word  or  two  wil] 
tell  that.  They  are  the  Van  Wyks.  The  three  sons  of 
Diedrik  Van  Wyk. 

And  who,  then,  is  Diedrik  Van  Wyk  ?  That  musl 
also  be  explained.  Diedrik  is  a  very  rich  boor — a  "  vee- 
boor" — who  every  night  shuts  up  within  his  spacious 
kraals  more  than  three  thousand  horses  and  horned  cattle, 
with  live  times  that  number  of  sheep  and  goats  !  In  fact, 
Diedrik  Van  Wyk  is  accounted  the  richest  vee-boor,  or 
grazier,  in  all  the  Graaf  Reinet. 

Now  the  broad  plaalz,  or  farm,  of  Diedrik  Van  W)  k 
liss  contiguous  to  that  of  our  old  acquaintance,  Hendrik 
Von  Bloom;  and  it  so  chances  that  Hendrik  and  Die- 
drik are  fast  friends  and  inseparable  companions.  They 
see  each  other  once  a-day,  at  the  least.  Every  evening 
Hendrik  rides  over  to  the  "kraal"  of  Diedrik,  or 
Diedrik  to  that  of  Hendrik.  to  enjoy  a  smoke  together  oul 


4        THE  CAMP  OF  THE  YOUNG  YAGERS 

of  their -ponderous  pipes  of  meerschaum,  or  a  "  zoopje  "  of 
brandewyn  distilled  from  their  own  peaches.  They  are^ 
in  fact,  a  pair  of  regular  old  comrades, — for  Van  Wyk 
in  "early  life  has  seen  military  service  as  well  as  Von 
Bloom, — and,  like  all  old  soldiers,  they  love  to  repeat 
their  camp  stories,  and  "  fight  their  battles  o'er  again." 

Under  such  circumstances  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at,  that  the  children  of  both  should  be  intimate  acquaint- 
ances. But,  in  addition  to  the  friendship  of  their  fathers, 
there  is  a  tie  of  relationship  between  the  two  families,— 
the  two  mothers  were  cousins, — so  that  the  children  are 
what  is  usually  termed  second  cousins, — a  very  interest- 
ing sort  of  affinity.  And  it  is  not  an  unlikely  thing  that 
the  relationship  between  the  families  of  Von  Bloom  and 
his  friend  Van  Wyk  may  one  day  become  still  closer  and 
more  interesting;  for  the  former  has  for  his  daughter, as 
all  the  world  knows,  the  beautiful  flaxen-haired  cherry- 
cheeked  Triiey,  while  the  latter  is  the  father  of  the  pret- 
ty brunette  Wilhelmina — also  an  only  daughter.  Now 
there  chance  to  be  three  boys  in  each  family ;  and 
though  both  boys  and  girls  are  by  far  too  young  to  think 
of  getting  married  yet,  there  are  suspicions  abroad  I  hat 
the  families  of  Von  Bloom  and  Van  Wyk  will,  at  no 
very  distant  day,  be  connected  by  a  double  marriage— 
which  would  not  be  displeasing  to  either  of  the  eld  com- 
ia<l(  s,  Hendrik  and  Diedrik. 

I  hare  said  there  are  three  boys  in  each  family.  You 
already  know  the  Von  Blooms,  Hans,  Hendrik,  and 
Jan.  Allow  me  to  introduce  you  to  the  Van  Wyks. 
Their  names  are  Willem,  Arend,  and  Klaas. 

Willem  is  the  eldest,  and,  though  not  yet  eighteen,  is 
juite  a  man  in  size.  Willem  is,  in  fact,  a  boy  of  very 


THE  CAMP  OF  THE  YOUNG  YAGERS.        5 

large  dimensions,  so  large  that  lie  has  received  tha 
sobriquet  of  "  Groot  Willem  "  (Big  William)  therefrom. 
AJ1  his  companions  call  him  "  Groot  Willem."  But  he 
irf  strong  in  proportion  to  his  size, — by  far  the  strongest 
of  the  young  yagers.  He  is  by  no  means  tidy  in  hia 
dress.  His  clothes,  consisting  of  a  big  jacket  of  home' 
spun  cloth,  a  check  shirt,  and  an  enormously  wide  pair 
of  leathern  trousers,  hang  loosely  about  him,  and  make 
him  look  larger  than  he  really  is.  Even  his  broad- 
brimmed  felt  hat  has  a  slouching  set  upon  his  head,  and 
his  feldt-schoenen  are  a  world  too  wide  for  his  feet. 

And  just  as  easy  as  his  dress  is  the  disposition  of  the 
wearer.  Though  strong  as  a  lion,  and  conscious  of  hia 
strength,  Groot  Willem  would  not  harm  a  fly,  and  his 
kindly  and  unselfish  nature  makes  him  a  favorite  with  all. 

Groot  Willem  is  a  mighty  hunter,  carries  one  of  the 
largest  of  guns,  a  regular  Dutch  "roer,"  and  also  an 
enormous  powder-horn,  and  pouch  full  of  leaden  bullets. 
An  ordinary  boy  would  stagger  under  such  a  load,  but 
it  is  nothing  to  Groot  Willem. 

Now  it  may  be  remembered  that  Hendrik  Von  Bloom 
is  also  a  "  mighty  hunter  ; "  and  I  shall  just  whisper  that 
a  slight  feeling  of  rivalry — 1  shall  not  call  it  jealousy, 
for  they  are  good  friends — exists  between  these  two 
Nirnrods.  Heridrik's  favorite  gun  is  a  rifle,  while  the 
tioer  of  Groot  Willem  is  a  "  smooth  bore  ;"  and  between 
ihe  merits  of  these  two  weapons  camp-fire  discussions 
are  frequent  and  sharp.  They  are  never  carried  beyond 
the  limits  of  gentlemanly  feeling,  for  loose  and  slovenly 
is  is  Groot  Willem  in  outward  appearance,  he  is  a  gen- 
tleman within. 

Kqually  a  gentleman,  but  of  far  more  taste  and  style, 


6  TI1K    CAMP    OF    THrt    YOUNG    YAGRQ& 

is  *lic  second  brother  of  the  Van  Wyks,  Arend.  In 
striking  appearance  and  manly  beauty  he  is  qnito  a 
match  for  llendrik  Von  Bloom  himself,  though  in  com 
(ilex ion  and  features  there  is  no  resemblance  between 
thera.  llendrik  is  fair,  while  Arend  is  very  dark  skin- 
m:d,  with  black  eyes  and  hair.  In  fact,  all  the  Vai» 
Wyks  are  of  the  complexion  known  as  "brunette."  for 
they  belong  to  that  section  of  the  inhabitants  of  lie  Hand 
sometimes  distinguished  as  "  Black  Dutch."  But  upon 
Arend's  line  features  the  hue  sits  well,  and  a  handsomer 
youth  is  not  to  be  seen  in  all  the  Graaf  Reinet.  Home 
whisper  that  this  is  the  opinion  of  the  beautiful  Gertrude 
Von  Bloom  ;  but  that  can  only  be  idle  gossip,  for  the 
fair  Triiey  is  yet  but  thirteen,  and  therefore  am  have  no 
opinion  on  such  a  matter.  Africa,  however,  is  an  early 
country,  and  there  might  be  something  in  it. 

Arend's  costume  is  a  tasty  one,  and  becomes  him  well. 
It  consists  of  a  jacket  of  dressed  antelope-skin, — the 
skin  of  the  springbok  ;  but  this,  besides  being  tastefully 
cut  and  sewed,  is  very  prettily  embroidered  with  slashes 
of  beautiful  leopard-skin,  while  broad  bands  of  the  same 
extend  along  the  outside  seams  of  the  trousers,  from  waist 
to  ankle,  giving  to  the  whole  dress  a  very  rich  and  strik- 
ing efTect.  Arend's  head-dress  is  similar  to  that  worn 
by  llendrik  Von  Bloom,  viz :  a  military  forage-cap, 
upon  the  front  of  which  are  embroidered  in  gold  bullion 
*  bugle  and  some  letters ;  and  the  explanation  of  thai 
is,  that  Arend,  like  his  second  cousin,  is  a  cornet  in  the 
Cape  Rifles,  and  a  dashing  young  soldier  he  is. 

Xow  the  portrait  of  Klaas  in  peri  and  ink. — Klaas  ia 
just  Jan's  age  and  Jan's  exact  height,  but  as  to  circum- 
ference therein  exists  a  great  ditfenncj.  Jnn,  as  you 


THE    04.MP    OP   THE    YOUNG    YAGRUS.  J 

a)i  know,  is  a  thin,  wiry  little  fellow,  while  Klaas,  01 
the  contrary,  is  broad,  stout,  and  burly.  In  fact,  so 
stout  is  he,  that  Jan  repeated  two  and  a  half  times  would 
scarce  equal  him  in  diameter ! 

Both  wear  cloth  roundabouts  and  trousers,  and  little 
broad-brimmed  hats ;  both  go  to  the  same  school ;  and, 
though  there  is  a  considerable  difference  between  them 
in  other  respects,  both  are  great  boys  for  bird-catching 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  As  they  only  carry  small 
shot  guns,  of  course  they  do  not  aspire  to  killing  ante- 
lopes or  other  large  animals ;  but,  small  as  their  guns 
are,  I  pity  the  partridge,  guinea-hen,  or  even  bustardy 
that  lets  either  of  them  crawl  within  reach  of  it. 

Now  it  has  been  hinted  that  between  the  hunters 
Groot  Willem  and  Hendrik  there  is  a  slight  feeling  of 
rivalry  in  regard  to  matters  of  venerie.  A  very  similar 
feeling,  spiced  perhaps  with  a  little  bit  of  jealousy,  has 
long  existed  between  the  bird-catchers,  and  sometimes 
leads  to  a  little  coolness  between  them,  but  that  is  usu- 
ally of  very  short  duration. 

Hans  and  Arend  have  no  envious  feelings — either  of 
one  another  or  of  anybody  else.  Hans  is  too  much  of 
a  philosopher :  besides,  the  accomplishment  in  which  he 
excels,  the  knowledge  of  natural  history,  is  one  in  which 
he  is  without  a  rival.  None  of  the  rest  make  any  pre- 
tensions to  such  knowledge ;  and  the  opinion  of  Han* 
on  any  matter  of  science  is  always  regarded  as  a  final 
judgment. 

As  to  Arend,  he  is  not  particularly  proud  of  any 
acquirement.  Handsome,  brave,  and  generous,  te  if 
nevertheless  a  right  modest  youth, — a  boy  to  be  beloved 

And  now  you  know  who  are  the  young  yd^-ert. 


SWABTBOY    THfc    BUSHMAN    AJ>TO 


CHAPTER  II. 

BWARTBOY  THE  BUSHMAN  AND  CONGO  THE  K  AFP  JR. 

I  HAVE  said  that  the  young  yagers  were  encamped 
on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Great  Orange  River. 
What  were  they  doing  there :  The  spot  they  occupied 
was  many  a  long  day's  journey  from  their  home  in  the 
Graaf  Reinet,  and  many  a  day's  journey  beyond  the 
frontier  of  the  Cape  Colony.  There  were  no  settle- 
ments near.  No  white  men  ever  wandered  so  far,  except 
an  occasional  "  smouse,"  or  trader — a  class  of  men  who 
extend  their  bartering  expeditions  almost  to  the  central 
parts  of  the  African  Continent.  Sometimes,  too,  the 
"  trek-boor,"  or  nomade  grazier,  may  have  driven  his 
flocks  to  this  remote  place,  but  for  all  that  it  could  not 
be  considered  a  settled  country.  It  was  still  a  wilder- 
ness. 

And  what  were  the  young  Von  Blooms  and  Van 
Wyks  doing  in  the  wilderness  ?  J&ging  to  be  sure,  ami 
nothing  else, — they  were  simply  out  on  a  hunting  expe- 
dition. 

It  was  an  expedition  that  had  been  long  talked  of 
and  planned.  Since  their  grand  hunt  of  the  elephant. 
the  "  Bush-boys  "  had  not  followed  any  game.  Hendrik 
l»ad  been  with  his  regiment,  and  Hans  and  Jan  busy 


CONGO    THE    KAFFIR. 

with  th^if  respective  studies.  So  with  Are/vJ  Van  Wyk 
ts  with  Hendrik,  and  Klaas  as  with  Jan.  Groot  Willern 
alone,  from  time  to  time,  had  been  jiiging  springboks 
and  such  other  game  as  is  to  be  found  among  the  settle- 
ments. But  the  present  was  a  grand  expedition  in- 
tended to  be  carried  far  beyond  the  settled  part  of  tho 
colony — in  fact,  as  far  as  they  thought  fit  to  go.  The 
boys  had  received  the  full  sanction  of  their  parents,  and 
had  been  fitted  out  in  proper  style — each  having  a  good 
hors^,  and  each  three  a  large  wagon  to  carry  all  their 
camp  utensils,  and  serve  as  a  tent  to  sleep  in.  Each 
wagon  had  its  drivw,  and  full  span  of  ten  long-horned 
oxen ;  and  these,  with  a  small  pack  of  rough-looking 
buck-dogs,  might  be  seen  in  the  camp — the  oxen  tied  to 
the  disselbooms  of  the  wagons,  and  the  dogs  grouped  in 
various  attitudes  around  the  fire.  The  horses  were  also 
fastened  some  to  the  wheels,  and  others  to  trees  that  grew 
near. 

Two  other  objects  in  the  camp  are  well  worthy  of  a 
word  or  two ;  in  fact,  they  are  two  individuals  of  very 
great  importance  to  the  expedition — as  without  them 
the  wagons  would  be  a  troublesome  affair.  They  are 
the  drivers  of  these  vehicles,  and  each  is  as  proud  of 
his  whip-craft  as  Jehu  could  possibly  have  been  of  his. 

In  one  of  these  drivers  you  will  recognize  an  old  ac- 
quaintance. The  large  head  and  high  cheek-bones,  w  ith 
thft  flat  spread  nostrils  between;  the  small  oblique 
Mongolian  eyes ;  the  short  curly  wool-knots,  planted 
sparsely  over  the  broad  skull ;  the  yellow  complexion ; 
the  thick  "  chunky "  form,  scarce  four  feet  in  height^ 
and  sparely  clad  in  red  flannel  shirt  and  brown  leathern 
*  crackers ; "  with  all  these  features  and  characters  be- 
1* 


10  SHTARTBOY  THE  BUSHMAN  AND 

fore  your  mind,  you  cannot  fail  to  recognir.0  an  olii 
favorite — the  Bushman,  Swartboy 

Swartboy  it  was ;  and,  though  several  years  have 
rolled  over  the  Bushman's  bare  head  since  we  saw  him 
last,  there  is  no  visible  change  observable  in  Swartboy. 
The  thinly  scattered  "  kinks "  of  brovvny  black  wool 
still  adorn  Swartboy's  crown  and  occiput,  but  they  are 
no  thinner — the  same  good-natured  grin  is  obseived 
upon  his  yellow  face — he  is  still  the  same  faithful  ser- 
vant— the  same  expert  driver — the  same  useful  fellow 
that  he  ever  was.  Swartboy,  of  course,  drives  the 
wagon  of  the  Von  Blooms. 

Now  the  driver  of  the  Van  Wyk  vehicle  is  about  aa 
unlike  Swartboy  as  a  bear  to  a  bluebottle. 

In  the  first  place,  he  is  above  a  third  taller  than  the 
Bushman,  standing  over  six  feet, — not  in  his  stockings, 
for  he  never  wears  stockings,  but  in  sandals,  which  he 
does  wear. 

His  complexion  is  darker  than  that  of  the  Hottentot, 
although  it  is  not  black,  but  rather  of  a  bronze  color ; 
and  the  hair  of  his  head,  although  somewhat  "  woolly," 
is  longer  than  Swartboy's,  and  less  inclined  to  take  root 
at  both  ends !  Where  the  line  of  Swartboy's  nose  is 
concave,  that  of  the  other  is  convex,  and  the  nose  itself 
almost  aquiline.  A  dark  piercing  eye,  a  row  of  white 
teeth  regularly  set,  lips  of  moderate  thickness,  a  welt 
proportioned  form,  and  erect  attitude,  give  to  this  indi- 
vidual, an  aspect  of  grandeur  and  gravity,  both  of  which 
are  in  complete  contrast  with  the  comic  picture  pre- 
sented by  the  short  stout  body  and  grinning  counte- 
nance of  the  Bushman. 

The  costume  of  the  tall  man  has  something  graceful 


CONGO  THE  KAPKIK.  11 

about  it.  It  consists  of  a  tunic-like  skirt  suspended 
around  the  waist  and  hanging  down  to  mid-thigh.  There 
is  something  peculiar  in  this  skirt.  It  has  the  appear- 
ance of  a  fringe  or  drapery  of  long  white  hairs,  not 
plaited  or  woven,  but  hanging  free  and  full.  It  is,  in 
fact,  thejrue  costujne^of^savage  ;  and  consists  simply  cf 
a  number  of  antelope's  tails — the  white  (ails  of  the  gaoo 
—strung  together  around  the  waist,  and  allowed  to  fall  to 
their  full  length  down  the  thighs.  A  sort  of  "tippet" 
of  the  same  surrounding  the  shoulders,  with  copper  ringa 
on  the  ankles  and  armlets  encircling  the  wrist,  a  bunch 
of  ostrich-feathers  waving  from  his  crown,  and  a  string^ 
of  beads  around  his  neck,  complete  the  costume  of  Congo) 
the  Kaffir — for  to  that  nation  of  romantic  savages  be- 
longed the  wagon-driver  of  the  Van  Wyks. 

What !  a  Kaffir  the  driver  of  a  wagon  ?  you  will  ex- 
claim. You  can  hardly  realize  the  idea,  that  a  Kaffir — 
a  warrior,  as  you  may  deem  him — could  be  employed  in 
so  menial  an  office  as  wagon-driving !  But  it  is  even 
so.  Many  Kaffirs  are  so  engaged  in  the  Cape  Colony, — 
indeed,  many  thousands ;  and  in  offices  of  a  more  de- 
grading kind  than  driving  a  wagon  team — which,  by  *,he 
way,  is  far  from  being  considered  an  unworthy  employ- 
ment in  South  Africa,  so  far  that  the  sons  of  the  wealth! 
est  boors  may  often  be  seen  mounted  upon  the  voor-kist 
and  handling  the  long  bamboo  whip  with  all  the  ability 
of  a  practised  "jarvey."  There  is  nothing  odd  about 
Congo  the  Kaffir  being  wagon-driver  to  the  Van  Wyks. 
He  was  a  refugee,  who  had  escaped  from  the  despotic 
rule  of  the  blood-stained  monster  Chaaka.  Having  in 
seme  way  offended  the  tyrant,  he  had  been  compelled  to 
flee  for  his  life;  and,  after  wandering  southward,  had 


12  SWARTBOY  THK  HUSIIMAN  AND 

found  safely  and  protection  among  the  colonists.  H«ira 
he  had  learnt  to  make  himself  a  useful  member  of  civil- 
ized society,  though  a  lingering  regard  for  ancient  habit? 
influenced  him  still  to  retain  the  costume  of  his  native 
country — the  country  of  the  Zooloo  Kaifir. 

No  one  could  have  blamed  him  for  this ;  for,  as  ha 
stood  with  his  ample  leopard-skin  kaross  suspended  toga- 
like  from  his  shoulders,  the  silvery  skirt  draping  grace- 
fully to  his  knees,  and  his  metal  rings  glittering  under 
the  blaze  of  the  camp-fire,  a  noble  picture  he  presented, 
— a  savage  but  interesting  picture.  No  one  could 
blame  Congo  for  wishing  to  display  his  fine  form  in  so 
becoming  a  costume. 

And  no  one  did.  No  one  was  jealous  of  the  hand- 
some savage. 

Yes, — one.  There  was  one  who  did  not  regard  him 
with  the  most  amiable  feelings.  There  was  a  rival  who 
could  not  listen  to  Congo's  praise  with  indifference. 
One  who  liked  not  Congo.  That  rival  was  Swartboy. 
Talk  of  the  rivalry  that  existed  between  the  hunters 
Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem,  of  that  between  Klaas  and 
Jan.  Put  both  into  one,  and  it  would  still  fall  far  short 
of  the  constant  struggles  for  preeminence  that  were 
exhibited  between  the  rival  "  whips,"  Swartboy  the 
Bushman,  and  Congo  the  Kaffir. 

Swartboy  and  Congo  were  the  only  servant}  with 
the  expedition.  Cooks  or  other  attendants  the  young 
yagers  had  none.  Not  but  that  the  rich  landdrost,— 
for  it  must  be  remembered  that  Von  Bloom  was  now 
shief  magistrate  of  his  district, — and  the  wealthy  boor 
could  have  easily  afforded  a  score  of  attendants  upon 
each  trio  of  hunters.  But  there  were  no  attendant? 


CONGO  THE  KAFFIR.  13 

whft(t,.c,r  beyond  the  two  drivers.  This  wa?  not  on  the 
score  of  economy.  No  such  thing.  It  was  simply  be- 
cause the  old  soldiers,  Hendrik  Von  Bloom  and  Diedrik 
Van  "Wyk,  were  not  the  men  to  pamper  their  boys  with 
too  mucn  luxury. 

"If  they  must  go  a-hunting,  let  them  rough  it,"  said 
they ;  and  so  they  started  them  off,  giving  them  a  brace 
of  wagons  to  carry  their  impedimenta — and  their  spoils. 

But  the  young  yagers  needed  no  attendance.  Each 
knew  how  to  wait  uj>on  himself.  Even  the  youngest 
could  skin  an  antelope  and  broil  its  ribs  over  the  fire ; 
and  that  was  about  all  the  cookery  they  would  require 
till  their  return.  The  healthy  stomach  of  the  hunter 
supplies  a  sauce  more  appetising  than  either  Harvey  or 
Soyer  could  concoct  with  all  their  culinary  skill. 

Before  arriving  at  their  present  camp  the  young 
yagers  had  been  out  several  weeks ;  but,  although  they 
had  hunted  widely,  they  had  not  fallen  in  with  any  of 
the  great  game,  such  as  giraffes,  buffaloes,  or  elephants  ; 
and  scarce  an  adventure  worth  talking  about.  A  day 
or  two  before  a  grand  discussion  had  taken  place  as  to 
whether  they  should  cross  the  great  river,  and  proceed 
farther  northward,  in  search  of  the  camelopard  and  ele- 
phant, or  whether  they  should  continue  on  the  southern 
side,  ja'ging  springboks,  hartebeests,  and  several  other 
kinds  of  antelopes.  This  discussion  ended  in  a  resolve 
to  continue  on  to  the  north,  and  remain  there  till  thuif 
time  was  up, — the  time  of  course  being  regulsted  by 
the  duration  of  college  and  school  vacations,  and  lca?4 
of  absence  from  the  "  Corps." 

Groot  "NVillem  had  been  the  principal  adviser  of  this 
course,  and  Hans  his  backer.  The  former  was  desirotu 


!4  SWARTBOY  THK  BUSHMAN. 

of  jiiging  the  elephant,  the  buffalo,  and  giraffe, — a  spoil 
at  which  he  was  still  but  a  novice,  as  lie  had  never  had  a 
fair  opportunity  of  hunting  these  mighty  giants  of  the 
wood  ;  while  Hans  was  equally  desirous  of  an  exploring 
expedition  that  would  bring  him  in  contact  with  new 
J'orms  of  vegetable  lifY 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  Arend  threw  in  his  vote 
for  returning  home  ;  and,  stranger  still,  that  the  hunter 
Hendrik  should  join  him  in  this  advice ! 

But  almost  every  thing  can  be  explained,  if  we  examine 
it  with  care  and  patience  ;  and  the  odd  conduct  of  the 
two  "  cornets"  was  capable  of  explanation. 

Hans  slyly  hinted  that  it  was  possible  that  a  certain 
"brunette,  Wilhelmina,  might  have  something  to  do  with 
Hendrik's  decision  ;  but  Groot  Willem,  who  was  a  rough 
plain-spoken  fellow,  broadly  alleged,  that  it  was  nothing 
else  than  Triiey  that  was  carrying  Arend's  thoughts 
homeward;  and  the  consequence  of  these  hints  and  as- 
sertions was,  that  neither  Hendrik  nor  Arend  offered 
any  further  opposition  to  going  northward  among  the 
elephants,  but,  blushing  red  to  the  very  eyes,  both  were 
only  too  glad  to  give  in  their  assent  and  terminate  th« 
discussion. 

Northward  then  became  the  word : — northward  for 
the  land  of  the  tall  giraffe  and  the  migMy  elephant! 

The  young  yagers  had  arrived  on  the  southern  }  ank 
of  the  Orange  River,  opposite  to  a  welUniown  "diit't," 
or  cross!  ng-place.  There  chanced  to  be  a  freshet  in  the 
m«r;  and  they  had  encamped,  and  were  waiting  until 
Uio  water  should  fall  and  the  ford  luce  me  i 


r<>N«O  CROSSED   A  DRIFT.  15 


CHAPTER  IIL 

HOW  CONGO  CROSSED  A  "DRIFT." 

NI.XT  morning,  by  break  of  day,  our  yagers  were 
astir,  and  the  first  object  upon  which  they  rested  their 
eyes  was  the  river.  To  their  joy  it  had  fallen  several 
feet,  as  they  could  tell  by  the  water-mark  upon  the  trees. 

The  streams  of  South  Africa,  like  those  of  most  trop- 
ical and  sub-tropical  countries,  and  especially  where  the 
district  is  mountainous,  rise  and  fall  with  much  greater 
rapidity  than  those  of  temperate  climes.  Their  sudden 
rise  is  accounted  for  by  the  great  quantity  of  water  which 
in  tropical  storms  is  precipitated  within  a  short  period 
of  time — the  rain  falling,  not  in  light  sparse  drops,  but 
thick  and  heavy,  for  several  hours  together,  until  the 
whole  surface  of  the  country  is  saturated,  and  every 
rivulet  becomes  a  torrent. 

Oi  these  storms  we  have  an  exemplification  in  our 
summer  thunder-showers — with  their  big  rain-drops, 
whon  in  a  few  minutes  the  gutter  becomes  a  rivulet  and 
th<  rut  of  the  cartwheel  a  running  stream.  Fortunately 
the:-e  ''sunshiny"  showers  are  of  short  duration.  They 
u  la-st  only  half-an-hour,"  instead  of  many  hours.  Fancy 
one  of  iliem  continuing  for  a  whole  day  or  a  week!  If 
such  were  to  be  the  case,  we  should  witness  Hoods  tu 
sudden  and  terrible  as  those  of  the  tropics. 


H  HOW  CONGO  CROSSED  A  DRIFT. 

The  quick  fall  in  the  streams  of  South  Africa  is  casity 
accounted  for — the  principal  reason  being  that  the  clouds 
are  their  feedeis,  and  not,  as  with  us,  springs  and  lakes. 
Tropic  rivers  rarely  run  from  reservoirs ;  the  abrupt 
cessation  of  the  rain  cuts  off  their  supply,  and  the  con- 
sequence  is  the  sudden  falling  of  their  waters.  Evap- 
oration by  a  hot  sun,  and  large  absorption  by  the  dry 
earth,  combine  to  produce  this  effect. 

Now  the  young  yagers  saw  that  the  "  Gareep  "  (sudi 
is  the  native  name  of  the  Orange  River)  had  fallen 
many  feet  during  the  night ;  but  they  knew  not  whether 
it  was  yet  fordable.  Though  the  place  was  a  "  drift " 
used  by  Hottentots,  Bechuanas,  traders,  and  occasion- 
ally "  trek-boors,"  yet  none  of  the  party  knew  any  thing 
of  its  depth,  now  that  the  freshet  was  on.  There  were 
no  marks  to  indicate  the  depth — no  means  by  which  they 
could  ascertain  it.  They  could  not  see  the  bottom,  as 
the  water  was  of  a  yellow-brown  color,  in  consequence 
of  the  flood.  It  might  be  three  feet — it  might  be  six — 
but  as  the  current  was  very  rapid,  it  would  be  a  dangerous 
experiment  to  wade  in  and  measure  its  depth  in  that  way. 

What  were  they  to  do  then?  They  were  im- 
patient to  effect  a  crossing.  How  were  they  to  do  sc 
in  safety? 

Hendrik  proposed  that  one  of  them  should  try  the  ford 
on  horseback.  If  they  could  not  wade  it,  they  might 
swim  over.  He  offered  to  go  himself.  Groot  Willcm, 
not  to  be  outdone  by  Hendrik  in  daring,  made  a  similar 
proposal.  But  Hans,  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  party, 
and  whose  prudent  counsels  were  usually  regarded  by 
all,  gave  his  advice  against  this  course.  The  experi- 
ment would  be  too  perilous,  he  said.  Should  the  water 


HOW  CONGO  CROSSED  A  DRIFT.  17 

prove  <Oo  deep,  the  horses  would  be  compelled  (o  swiin, 
and  with  so  rapid  a  current  they  might  be  carried  far 
"oelow  the  "  drift," — perhaps  down  to  where  the  banks 
were  high  and  steep.  There  they  should  not  be  abl« 
to  climb  out,  and  both  horse  ana  rider  might  perish. 

Besides,  urged  Hans,  even  should  a  rider  succeed  by 
swimming  to  reach  the  opposite  side  in  safety,  the  oxen 
and  wagons  could  not  get  over  in  that  way,  and  where 
would  be  the  use  of  crossing  without  them'?  None  what- 
ever. Better,  therefore,  to  wait  a  little  longer  until  they 
should  be  certain  that  the  river  had  subsided  to  its  usual 
level.  That  they  could  ascertain  by  the  water  ceasing 
to  fall  any  further,  and  another  day  would  decide  the 
point.  It  would  only  be  the  loss  of  another  day. 

Hans's  reasoning  was  good,  and  so  was  his  counsel. 
Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  acknowledged  this,  and 
agreed  to  act  upon  it ;  but  for  all  that,  Groot  Willem,  who 
was  longing  to  get  among  the  giraffes,  buffaloes,  and  ele- 
phants, felt  a  strong  desire  to  attempt  the  crossing ;  and 
Hendrik,  too,  was  similarly  inclined,  from  the  sheer  lovi- 
of  adventure — for  Hendrik's  fault  was  that  of  being 
o  ver-cou  rageous. 

Both  would  have  risked  the  river — even  to  swimming 
it — had  it  been  practicable  for  the  teams  to  have  crossed, 
but  as  that  was  not  believed  possible,  they  agreed, 
though  with  rather  a  bad  grace,  to  wait  upon  the  water 
another  day. 

But,  after  all,  they  were  not  to  wait  a  day, — scarcely 
an  hour.  In  an  hour  from  that  time  they  had  crossed 
the  drift — wagons,  oxen,  and  all — and  were  trekking 
over  the  plain  on  the  opposite  side ! 

What   had   led   to  their  so  suddenly  changing  theit 


18  now   CONGO  CROSSKI)  A  DRIFT. 

resolution?  How  had  they  ascertained  that  the  drift 
was  fordable  ?  For  a  knowledge  of  that  fact  they  were 
indebted  to  Congo  the  Kaffir. 

While  engaged  in  their  discussion  as  to  the  depth  of 
».he  river,  the  latter  had  been  observed  standing  upon  the 
bank  and  tin-owing  large  pebbles  into  the  stream.  Think- 
ing it  was  merely  some  freak  or  superstition  on  the  part 
of  the  savage,  none  of  them  had  taken  any  notice  of 
him,  Swartboy  excepted.  The  Bushman  was  watching 
the  Kaffir,  with  glances  that  bespoke  a  keen  interest  in 
his  movements. 

At  length  a  loud  scornful  laugh  from  Swartboy,  ac- 
companying a  series  of  rather  rough  phrases,  directed 
the  attention  of  the  young  yagers  upon  the  Kaffir. 

"  My  footy,  Congo !  ole  fool  you !  b'lieve  you  teU 
depth  so  ?  link  so,  ole  skelium  ?  Ha !  ha !  ha !  you 
bania  groot  ole  humbug !  Ila!  ha!  ha!" 

The  Kaifir  took  no  notice  of  this  rather  insulting 
apostrophe,  but  continued  to  fling  his  pebbles  as  before, 
but  the  young  yagers,  who  were  also  watching  him, 
noticed  that  he  was  not  throwing  them  carelessly,  but  in 
a  peculiar  manner,  and  their  attention  now  became  fixed 
upon  him. 

They  saw  that  each  time  as  the  pebble  parted  from 
his  fingers,  he  bent  suddenly  forward,  with  his  ear  close 
to  the  surface,  and  in  this  attitude  appeared  to  listen  to 
the  "plunge"  of  the  stone!  When  the  sound  diod 
away,  he  would  rise  erect  again,  fling  another  pebble 
farther  out  than  the  last,  and  then  crouch  and  listen  as 
before  ? 

"  What's  the  Kaffir  about  ?"  asked  Ilendrik  of  Groot 
Willcm  and  Arcnd,  who,  being  his  masters,  were  morn 
likely  to  know- 


HOTV   CONGO  CROSSED  A  DRIFT.  15 

*  either  could  tell.  Some  Zooloo  trick,  no  doubt , 
l-*ogu  knew  many  a  one.  But  what  he  meant  by  his 
present  demonstration  neither  could  tell.  Swartboy'^ 
conjecture  appeared  to  be  correct,  the  Kaffir  was  sound 
ing  the  depth  of  the  drift. 

"  Hilloa,  ihore !  Congo!"  cried  Groot  Willejr 
"  What  are  ye  aftor,  old  boy  ?  " 

"  Congo  find  hov  deep  drift  be,  baas  Willem, "  wa 
iLe  reply. 

"  Oh !  you  can't  tell  that  way ;  can  you  ?  " 

The  Kaffir  made  answer  in  the  affirmative. 

"  Bah ! "  ejaculated  Swartboy,  jealous  of  the  interest 
his  rival  was  beginning  to  excite  ;  "  da's  all  nonsense  ; 
ole  fool  know  noffin  't  all  'bout  it, — dat  he  don't." 

The  Kaffir  still  took  no  notice  of  Swartboy's  gibes— 
though  they  no  doubt  nettled  him  &.  little — but  kept  on 
casting  the  pebbles  each  one,  as  sheady  stated,  being 
flung  so  as  to  full  several  feet  beyond  vhe  one  that  pre- 
ceded it.  He  continued  at  this,  until  iho  last  pebble 
was  seen  to  plunge  within  a  yard  or  two  of  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  current,  here  more  than  a  hundred 
yards  wide.  Then  raising  himself  erect,  and  taming  his 
face  to  the  young  yagers,  he  said  hi  firm  but  isj&pectfuJ 
tones, — 

"  Mynheeren,  you  drift  may  cross — now." 

All  regarded  him  with  incredulous  glances. 

u  How  deep  think  you  it  is?"  inquired  Hans. 

The  Kaffir  made  answer  by  placing  his  hand,  up  «: 
his  hips.  It  would  reach  so  high. 

"  My  footy ! "  exclaimed  Swartboy,  in  derision.  "  It'i 
twice  dar  depth.  Do  you  want  drown  us,  ole  fool  ?  " 

"  May  drown  you — nobody  else  ! "    quietly  replied 


2'>  HOW    CONGO    CROSSED    A    DRIFT. 

the  Kaffir,  at  the  same  time  measuring  Swartboy  with 
his  i-ye,  and  curling  his  lip  in  derision  of  the  Bushman 
short  stature. 

The  ycung  yagers  burst  out  into  a  loud  laugh.  Swart- 
boy  felt  the  sting,  but  for  some  moments  was  unable  to 
retort. 

At  length  he  found  words, — 

"  All  talk,  you  ole  black,  all  talk !  You  make  groot 
show, — you  berry  wise, — you  want  wagon  sweep  off",— 
you  want  drown  da  poor  oxen, — you  pretend  so  deep. 
If  tink  so,  go  wade  da  drift, — go  wade  yourself !  Ha ! " 

Swartboy  thought  by  this  challenge  he  had  put  the 
finisher  on  the  Kaffir.  He  believed  that  the  latter  would 
not  dare  to  try  the  ford,  in  spite  of  his  assertion  about 
its  depth.  But  Swartboy  was  doomed  to  disappointment 
and  humiliation. 

Scarcely  had  he  uttered  the  sneering  challenge  when 
the  Kaffir,  having  bent  a  glance  upon  the  rest,  and 
seeing  that  they  regarded  him  with  looks  of  expectation, 
turned  round  and  dashed  down  the  bank  to  the  edge  of 
the  water. 

All  saw  that  he  was  bent  upon  crossing.  Several  of 
them  uttered  cries  of  warning,  and  cautioned  him  to 
desist. 

But  the  Zooloo  spirit  was  roused,  and  the  savage  did 
not  heed  the  warning  cries.  He  did  not  hurry  madly 
into  the  current,  however ;  but  set  about  the  business 
willi  caution  and  design.  They  saw  him  stoop  down  by 
the  edge  of  the  water,  and  the  next  moment  rise  ereci 
again,  holding  in  his  hands  a  large  stone  that  could  nol 
have  weighed  much  less  than  a  hundredweight  This 
tc  the  astonishment  of  all,  he  raised  upon  the  crown  uf 


HOW    CONGO    CKOSSED    A    DRIFT.  21 

his  head,  and,  holding  it  in  that  position,  marched  boldly 
into  the  water ! 

All  saw  the  object  of  his  carrying  the  stone, — which 
was,  of  course,  to  enable  him  by  its  additional  weight  to 
stem  the  strong  current !  In  this  he  was  quite  success- 
ful, for  although  the  water  at  certain  places  rose  quite 
to  his  waist,  in  less  than  five  minutes  he  stood  high  and 
dry  on  the  opposite  bank. 

A  cheer  greeted  him,  in  which  all  but  Swartboy 
joined,  and  another  received  him  on  his  return ;  and 
then  the  oxen  were  inspanned,  and  the  horses  saddled 
and  mounted,  and  wagons,  oxen,  dogs,  horses,  and 
yagers,  all  crossed  safely  over,  and  continued  their 
route  northward. 


A    DKACE    OF    "BLACK-HAKES 


CHAPTER  IV. 
A  BUACE  OP  "BLACK  MANES." 

IF  the  v^ung  yagers  had  met  with  but  few  adventures 
south  of  .juC  Gareep,  they  were  not  long  north  of  it 
before  they  fell  in  with  one  of  sufficient  interest  to  be 
chronicled.  It  occurred  at  their  very  first  camp  after 
crossing. 

They  had  chosen  for  their  camp  the  side  of  a  "  vley," 
in  the  midst  of  a  wide  plain,  where  there  chanced  to  be 
both  grass  and  water,  though  both  of  a  rather  indifferent 
kind.  The  plain  was  tolerably  open,  though  here  and 
there  grew  clumps  of  low  bushes,  and  between  these 
stood  at  intervals  the  dome-shaped  houses  of  white 
ants — those  of  the  Termes  mordax — rising  to  the  height 
of  several  feet  above  the  surface. 

They  had  just  outspanned  and  permitted  their  oxen 
to  wander  upon  the  grass,  when  the  voice  of  Swartboy 
was  heard  exclaiming, — 

u  I)e  leuw !  de  leuw  ! " 

All  looked  where  Swartboy  pointed.  There,  sure 
enough,  was  a  lion, — a  large  "  schwart-fore-life,"  or 
Uack-maned  one, — right  out  upon  the  plain,  and  beyond 
the  place  where  the  oxen  were  browsing. 

There  was  a  clump  of  "bosch"  just  behind  the  lion 


A.   BRACE    OF   "BLACK-MANES."  23 

Out  of  this  he  had  come  at  sight  of  the  oxen-,  and, 
having  advanced  a  few  yards,  he  had  lain  down  among 
the  grass,  and  was  now  watching  the  animals  as  a  cat 
would  a  mouse,  or  a  spider  the  unconscious  fly. 

They  had  scarcely  set  their  eyes  upon  him  when 
another  was  seen  issuing  from  the  "  bosch."  and,  with 
stealthy  trot,  running  up  to  the  side  of  her  companion. 
Her  companion,  I  say,  because  the  second  was  a  lioness, 
as  the  absence  of  a  mane  and  the  tiger-like  form  testi- 
fied. She  was  scarcely  inferior  in  size  to  the  lion,  and 
not  a  bit  less  fierce  and  dangerous  in  any  encounter  she 
might  chance  to  fall  in  with. 

Having  joined  the  lion,  she  squatted  beside  him ;  and 
both  now  sat  upon  their  tails,  like  two  gigantic  cats, 
with  full  front  towards  the  camp,  and  evidently  eyeing 
the  oxen  with  hungry  looks. 

Horses,  hunters,  drivers,  and  dogs,  were  all  in  sight; 
but  what  cared  the  lions  for  that?  The  tempting  prey 
was  before  them,  and  they  evidently  meditated  an 
attack, — if  not  just  then,  whenever  the  opportunity 
offered.  Most  certainly  they  contemplated  supping 
either  upon  ox-beef  or  horse-flesh. 

Now  these  were  the  first  lions  that  had  been  encoun- 
tered upon  the  expedition.  "  Spoor"  had  been  seen 
several  times,  and  the  terrible  roar  had  been  heard  once 
or  twi)e  around  the  night-camp;  but  the  "king  of 
beasts"  now  appeared  for  the  first  time  in  propria  per- 
tona,  with  his  queen  along  with  him,  and  of  course  his 
presence  was  productive  of  no  small  excitement  in  the 
yager  camp.  It  must  not  be  denied  that  this  excite- 
ment partook  largely  of  the  nature  of  a  "  panic." 

The  first  fear  of  the  hunters  was  for  their  own  .skins, 


24  A    BRACE    OF   "BLACK-MANES.** 

and  iii  this  both  Bushman  and  Kaffir  equally  shared 
After  4  time,  however,  this  feeling  subsided.  The  lions 
would  not  attack  the  camp.  They  do  so  only  on  very 
rare  occasions.  It  was  the  camp  animals  they  were 
after,  and  so  long  as  these  were  present,  they  would  not 
epring  upon  their  owners.  So  far  there  was  no  danger, 
and  our  yagers  recovered  their  self-possession. 

But  it  would  not  do  to  let  the  carnivorous  brutes 
destroy  their  oxen, — that  would  not  do.  Something 
must  be  done  to  secure  them.  A  kraal  must  be  made 
at  once,  and  the  animals  driven  into  it. 

The  lions  lay  quietly  on  the  plain,  though  still  in  a 
menacing  attitude.  But  they  were  a  good  way  off — full 
five  hundred  yards — and  were  not  likely  to  attack  the 
oxen  so  close  to  the  camp.  The  huge  wagons — strange 
sight  to  them — no  doubt  had  the  effect  of  restraining 
them  for  the  present.  They  either  waited  until  the 
oxen  should  browse  nearer,  or  till  night  would  enable 
them  to  approach  the  latter  unobserved. 

As  soon,  then,  as  it  was  perceived  that  they  were  not 
bent  upon  an  immediate  attack,  Groot  Willem  and 
Ilendrik  mounted  their  horses,  rode  cautiously  out 
beyond  the  oxen,  and  quietly  drove  the  latter  to  the 
other  side  of  the  vley.  There  they  were  herded  by 
Klaas  and  Jan ;  while  all  the  rest,  Swartboy  and  Congo 
included,  went  to  work  with  axe  and  bill-hook  in  the 
nearest  thicket  of  "wait-a-bit"  thorns.  In  less  than 
fcalf-an-hour  a  sufficient  number  of  bushes  were  cut  to 
form,  with  the  help  of  the  wagons,  a  strong  kraal ;  and 
inside  this,  both  horses  and  oxen  were  driven, — the 
former  made  fast  to  the  wheel-spokes,  while  the  latter 
*rere  clumped  up  loosely  within  the  enclosure. 


A    BRACE    OF    "BLACK-MANES."  2J 

The  hunters  now  felt  secure.  They  had  kindled  a 
large  fire  on  each  side  of  the  kraal,  though  they  knew 
that  this  will  not  always  keep  lions  on".  But  they 
trusted  to  their  guns ;  and  as  they  would  sleep  inside 
the  canvass  tents  of  their  wagons,  closing  both  "  voor" 
and  "  aehter-claps,"  they  had  nothing  to  fear.  It  would 
bo  a  hungry  lion,  indeed,  that  would  have  attempted  to 
break  the  strong  kraal  they  had  made ;  and  no  lion, 
however  hungry,  would  ever  think  of  charging  into  a 
wagon. 

Having  made  all  secure,  therefore,  they  sealed  them- 
selves around  one  of  their  fires,  and  set  about  cooking 
their  dinner,  or  rather  dinner-supper,  for  it  was  to 
include  both  meals.  Their  journey  prevented  them 
from  dining  earlier. 

They  chanced  to  have  little  else  than  biltong,  or 
dried  meat,  to  cook.  The  long  wait  by  the  drift  had 
consumed  their  stock  of  fine  springbok  venison,  which 
they  had  laid  in  some  days  before.  It  is  true  they  had 
venison  in  camp,  but  it  was  that  of  the  "  reitbok,"  01 
reed-buck — so  called  from  its  habit  of  frequenting  the 
long  reeds  by  the  banks  of  rivers ;  and  it  was  while 
they  were  journeying  through  a  belt  of  these  after 
crossing  the  drift,  that  this  one  had  been  shot  by  Hen- 
drik.  A  small  antelope  the  reitbok  is — the  Antilopt 
tleotragus  of  naturalists.  It  stands  less  than  three  feet 
in  height,  formed  much  like  the  springbok,  but  with  a 
rougher  coat  of  hair,  of  an  ashy  gray  color,  and  silver 
white  underneath.  Its  horns,  however,  are  not  lyrate, 
as  in  the  springbok,  but  rise  first  in  the  plane  of  ita 
forehead,  and  then  curve  boldly  forward  to  the  tips. 
They  are  about  twelve  inches  in  length,  wrinkled  al 
2 


26         A  BRACE  OF  "  BLACK.  MANES." 

the  base,  prominently  ringed  in  the  middle,  and  smooti 
near  the  points.  The  reitbok,  as  its  name  implies, 
inhabits  the  reedy  bottoms  by  the  margins  of  streams 
and  rivers,  and  its  food  consists  of  plants  growing  in 
humid  ai.d  marshy  situations.  Hence  its  flesh  is  infe- 
rior tc  that  of  most  South  African  antelopes,  and  it  was 
not  a  favorite  with  the  young  yagers.  Although  it 
had  been  brought  along,  they  preferred  even  the  dry 
biltong,  and  it  was  left  to  the  less  delicate  appetites  of 
Swartboy  and  Congo. 

Now  the  hunters,  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem,  would 
have  gone  out  to  look  for  a  springbok,  or  some  othet 
game,  but  the  presence  of  the  lions  prevented  that ; 
and  so  the  boys  were  obliged  to  content  themselvea 
with  a  slice  of  the  biltong ;  and  each,  having  cut  him  a 
short  stick  for  a  spit,  set  about  broiling  his  piece  over 
the  coals. 

During  all  this  time  the  lion  and  lioness  kept  the 
position  they  had  taken  on  the  plain,  scarce  once  having 
changed  their  attitude.  They  were  waiting  patiently 
the  approach  of  night. 

Groot  Willem  and  Hendrik  had  both  advised  making 
an  attack  upon  them ;  but  in  this  case  they  again  gave 
way  to  the  more  prudent  counsel  of  Hans,  strengthened, 
perhaps,  by  his  reminding  them  of  the  instructions  they 
had  received  from  both  their  fathers  at  setting  out. 
These  instructions  were, — never  to  attack  a  lion  without 
good  reason  for  so  doing,  but  always  to  give  the  "ole 
leuw"  a  wide  berth  when  it  was  possible  to  do  so.  I» 
is  well  known  that  the  lion  will  rarely  attack  man  when 
not  first  assailed ;  and  therefore  the  advice  given  to  the 
young  yagers  was  sound  and  prudent ;  aud  they  fbl 
lowed  it. 


A  BRACK  OF  "  II LACK-MANES."  27 

It  wanted  yet  an  hour  or  two  of  sunset.  The  lions  still 
Kit  squatted  on  the  grass,  closely  observed  by  the 
hunters. 

All  at  once  the  eyes  of  the  latter  became  directed 
upon  a  uew  object.  Slowly  approaching  over  the  dis- 
tant plain,  appeared  two  strange  animals,  similar  in  form, 
and  nearly  so  in  size  and  color.  Each  was  about  the 
size  of  an  ass,  and  not  unlike  one  in  color, — especially 
that  variety  of  the  ass  which  ia  of  a  buff  or  fulvous  tint. 
Their  forms,  however,  were  more  graceful  than  that  of 
'he  ass,  though  they  were  far  from  being  light  or 
slender.  On  the  contrary,  they  were  of  a  full,  round, 
bold  outline.  They  were  singularly  marked  about  the 
head  and  face.  The  ground  color  of  these  parts  was 
white,  but  four  dark  bands  were  so  disposed  over  them  as 
to  give  the  animals  the  appearance  of  wearing  a  head- 
stall of  black  leather.  The  first  of  these  bands  descend- 
ed in  a  streak  down  the  forehead ;  another  passed 
through  the  eyes  to  the  corners  of  the  mouth ;  a 
third  embraced  the  nose ;  while  a  fourth  ran  from  the 
base  of  the  ears  passing  under  the  throat — a  regular 
throat-strap — thus  completing  the  resemblance  to  the 
Btall-halter. 

A  reversed  mane,  a  dark  list  down  the  back,  and  a 
long  black  bushy  tail  reaching  to  the  ground,  were  also 
fharacters  to  be  observed.  But  what  rendered  these 
inimals  easily  to  be  distinguished  from  all  others  was 
the  splendid  pair  of  horns  which  each  carried.  These 
horns  were  straight,  slender,  pointing  backwards  almost 
horizontally.  They  were  regularly  ringed  till  within  a 
few  inches  of  their  tips,  which  were  as  sharp  as  steel 
•pits.  In  both  they  were  of  a  deep  jet  color,  shining 


28  A  BUACE  OP  "BLACK-MANES." 

like  ebony,  and  full  three  feet  in  length.  But  what -was 
rather  singular,  the  horns  of  the  smaller  animal — for 
there  was  some  difference  in  their  size — were  longer 
than  those  of  the  larger  one !  The  former  was  the 
female,  the  latter  the  male,  therefore  the  horns  of  the 
female  were  more  developed  than  those  of  the  male — 
an  anomaly  among  animals  of  the  antelope  trihe,  for  an- 
telopes they  were.  The  young  yagers  had  no  difficulty 
in  distinguishing  their  kind.  At  the  first  glance  they 
nil  recognized  the  beautiful  "  oryx,"  one  of  the  loveliest 
inimals  of  Africa,  one  of  tlu  fairest  creatures  ia  the 
world 


LIONS  STALKING  THE  GEMSBOK. 


CHAPTER  V. 


STALKING  THE  GEMSBOK. 

OK  seeii^*  the  "  gemsbok  "  —  for  by  such  name  is  the 
oryx  known  to  th^  Cape  colonists  —  the  first  thought  of 
the  young  yri^ers  was  how  they  should  kill  or  capture 
ane  of  them.  Beautiful  as  these  creatures  looked  upon 
the  plain,  our  hunters  would  have  fancied  them  better 
on  the  spit  —  for  they  well  knew  that  the  venison  of  the 
gemsbok  is  delicious  eating  —  not  surpassed  by  that  of 
any  other  antelope,  the  eland  perhaps  excepted. 

The  first  thought  of  the  yagers,  then,  was  a  steak 
of  gemsbok  venison  for  dinner.  It  might  throw  their 
dinner  a  little  later,  but  it  would  be  so  much  of  a 
better  one  than  dry  biltong,  that  they  were  willing  to 
wait. 

The  slices  of  jerked  meat,  already  half-broiled,  were  at 
once  put  aside,  and  guns  were  grasped  in  the  place  of 
roasting-sticks. 

What  was  the  best  course  to  be  pursued  ?  That  was 
the  next  question. 

It  would  scarce  be  possible  to  stalk  the  gemsboks. 
They  are  among  the  most  wary  of  antelopes.  They 
rarely  approach  near  any  ccver  that  might  shelter  an 
3nemy  ;  and  when  alarmed  they  strike  off  in  a  straight 


80  LIONS  STALKING  THE  GEMS3OK. 

line,  and  make  for  the  open  desert  plains — their  natural 
home.  To  stalk  them  is  a  most  difficult  thing,  and  rare- 
ly attempted  by  the  hunter.  They  can  only  be  captured 
by  a  swift  horse,  and  after  a  severe  chase.  Even  from 
the  swiftest  horse  they  often  make  their  escape ;  for  in 
the  first  burst  of  a  mile  or  two  they  can  run  like  the 
wind.  A  good  horse,  however,  has  more  "  bottom  "  than 
they,  and  if  well  managed  will  in  time  overtake  them. 

The  hunters  having  seized  their  guns,  next  thought 
of  their  horses.  Should  they  saddle  and  ride  out  after 
the  gemsboks?  That  would  have  been  their  course  at 
once,  and  without  further  consideration,  had  they  not 
observed  that  the  antelopes  were  coming  directly  to- 
wards them.  If  they  continued  in  the  same  course  much 
longer,  they,  the  yagers,  need  not  stir  from  the  spot. 
The  game  would  approach  within  shot  and  save  them 
the  trouble  of  a  chase.  This  would  be  very  agreeable, 
as  the  hunters  were  hungry,  and  their  horses  tired  after 
a  hard  day's  journeying. 

There  was  some  probability  that  the  gemsboks  would 
give  them  the  chance  they  wished  for.  The  camp  was 
well  hidden  among  the  bushes.  The  smoke  of  the  fire 
alone  showed  its  situation,  but  the  antelopes  might  not 
perceive  this,  or  if  so,  might  not  regard  it  as  a  thing  to 
be  feared.  Besides,  as  Groot  Willem  and  Hendrik  ob 
served,  the  vley  was  close  by,  and  both  believed  the  an- 
telopes were  on  their  way  to  the  water.  The  student 
Hans,  however,  corrected  them  in  this  belief,  by  telling 
them  that  the  oryx  is  an  animal  f/iat  never  drinks, — that 
it  is  quite  independent  of  spiings,  streams,  or  vleys, — 
one  of  those  creatures  which  Nature  has  formed  to 
dwell  in  the  iesert,  where  no  water  exists !  It  was  not 


LIONS    STALKING    THE    GEMSBOK.  31 

likely  then  that  the  gemsboks  were  coming  to  the  vley. 
The  hunters  need  make  no  calculation  on  that. 

At  all  events,  they  were  certainly  approaching  the 
camp.  They  were  heading  straight  for  it,  and  were  al- 
ready less  than  a  thousand  yards  from  the  spot.  There 
would  scare  be  time  to  saddle  before  they  should  come 
within  shot,  or  else  start  off  alarmed  at  the  appearance 
of  the  smoke.  The  hunters,  therefore,  gave  up  all 
thoughts  of  a  chase ;  and,  crouching  forward  to  the 
outer  edge  of  the  grove,  they  knelt  down  behind  the 
bushes  to  await  the  approach  of  the  antelopes. 

The  latter  still  kept  steadily  on,  apparently  uncon- 
scious of  danger.  Surely  they  had  not  yet  perceived 
the  smoke,  else  they  would  have  shown  symptoms  either 
of  curiosity  or  alarm  !  The  wind  was  blowing  in  the  same 
direction  in  which  they  marched,  or  their  keen  sense 
of  smell  would  have  warned  them  of  the  dangerous 
proximity  of  the  hunter's  camp.  But  it  did  not ;  and 
they  continued  with  slow  but  unaltered  pace  to  approach 
the  spot,  where  no  less  than  six  dark  muzzles — a  full 
battery  of  small  arms — were  waiting  to  give  them  a 
volley. 

It  was  not  the  destiny  of  either  of  the  gemsboks 
to  die  by  a  leaden  bullet.  Death,  sudden  and  violent 
awaited  them,  though  not  from  the  hand  of  man.  It 
was  to  come  from  a  different  quarter. 

As  the  yiigers  lay  watching  the  approach  of  the  an- 
telopes, lliiir  eyes  had  Avandered  for  a  moment  from  the 
lions ;  but  a  movement  on  the  part  of  these  again  drew 
attention  to  them.  Up  to  a  certain  period  they  had  re- 
mained in  an  upright  attitude,  squatted  upon  their  tails, 
but  all  at  once  they  were  observed  to  crouch  flat  down, 


32  LIONS    STALKING    THE    GKMSBOK. 

as  if  to  conceal  themselves  under  the  grass,  while  then 
heads  were  turned  in  a  new  direction.  They  were 
turned  towards  the  gemsboks.  They  had  caught  sight 
of  the  Litter  as  they  approached  over  the  plain;  and  it 
was  evident  that  they  contemplated  an  attack  upon 
them. 

Now  if  the  antelopes  continued  on  in  the  same  course, 
it  would  carry  them  quite  clear  of  the  lions,  so  that  the 
latter  would  have  no  advantage.  A  gemsbok  can  soon 
scour  off  from  a  lion,  as  the  latter  is  at  best  but  a  pooi 
runner,  and  secures  his  prey  by  a  sudden  spring  or  two, 
or  else  not  at  all.  Unless,  therefore,  the  lions  could 
obtain  the  advantage  of  getting  within  bounding  distance 
of  the  antelopes  without  being  seen  by  them,  their 
chances  of  making  a  capture  would  be  poor  enough. 

They  knew  this,  and  to  effect  that  purpose — that  of 
getting  near — now  appeared  to  be  their  design.  The 
lion  was  observed  to  crawl  off  from  the  spot  in  a  direc- 
tion that  would  enable  him  to  get  upon  the  path  of  the 
gemsboks,  between  them  and  the  camp.  By  a  series 
of  manoeuvres, — now  crawling  flat  along  the  grass,  like 
a  cat  after  a  partridge ;  now  pausing  behind  a  bush  or 
an  ant-heap  to  survey  the  game ;  then  trotting  lightly 
on  to  the  next, — he  at  length  reached  a  large  ant-hili 
that  stood  right  by  the  path  in  which  the  antelopes  were 
advancing.  He  seemed  to  be  satisfied  of  this,  for  he 
stopped  here  and  placed  himself  close  in  to  the  base  of 
the  hill,  so  that  only  a  small  portion  of  his  head  pro 
jected  on  the  side  towards  the  game.  His  whole  body 
tiowever,  and  every  movement  he  made,  were  visible  t/ 
the  hunters  from  their  ambush  in  the  grove. 

But  where  was  the  lioness  ?     She  was  nc  lorger  bj 


LYONS    STALKING    THE    GEMSBOK.  33 

the  bosch  where  first  seen.  "Where  had  nhe  gone  ?  Not 
with  the  lion  ?  No.  On  the  contrary,  she  had  gone  in 
a  direction  nearly  opposite  to  that  taken  by  him.  Their 
«ye.s  had  been  busy  with  his  movements,  and  they  had 
not  noticed  hers.  Now,  however,  that  the  lion  had  cotne 
to  a  halt,  they  looked  abroad  for  his  mate,  and  saw  her 
far  out  upon  the  plain.  They  saw  that  she  was  pro- 
gressing in  the  same  way  the  lion  had  done, — now 
crawling  among  the  grass,  now  trotting  swiftly  from 
Aush  to  bush,  and  pausing  a  moment  behind  each,  but 
evidently  bending  her  course  so  as  to  arrive  in  the  rear 
of  the  antelopes ! 

The  "strategy"  of  the  lions  was  now  perceived. 
They  had  evidently  planned  it  before  separating.  The 
lion  was  to  place  himself  in  ambush  upon  the  path, 
while  the  lioness  swept  round  to  the  rear  and  forced  the 
antelopes  forward;  or  should  the  latter  become  alarmed 
and  retreat,  the  lion  could  then  show  himself  in  pursuit, 
and  run  the  frightened  game  back  into  the  clutches  of 
the  lioness. 

The  thing  was  well  calculated,  and  although  it  was 
likely  to  rob  the  hunters  of  their  game,  they  had  grown 
go  interested  in  the  movements  of  the  carnivora  and 
their  intended  victims,  that  they  thought  only  of  watch- 
ing the  spectacle  to  its  end. 

The  ambuscade  was  well  planned,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  its  success  was  no  longer  doubtful.  The  gems- 
boks  advanced  steadily  towards  the  ant-hill,  occasionally 
switching  about  their  black  bushy  tails  ;  but  that  was  to 
rid  their  flanks  of  the  flies,  and  not  from  any  apprehen- 
sion of  danger. 

The  lioness  had  completed  the  great  detour  she  tH 
2* 


54  LIONS    STALKING    THE    GEMSBOK. 

made,  und  was  now  seen  crouching  after  them,  though 
still  far  to  the  rear. 

As  the  antelopes  drew  near  the  ant-hill,  the  lion  waa 
observed  to  draw  back  his  head  until  it  was  nearly 
concealed  under  his  black  shaggy  mane.  They  could 
not  possibly  have  seen  him  where  he  lay,  nor  he  them, 
and  he  now  appeared  to  trust  to  his  ears  to  inform  him 
of  their  approach. 

lie  waited  till  both  were  opposite,  and  broadside 
toward  him,  at  the  distance  of  less  than  twenty  paces 
from  the  hill.  Then  his  tail  was  seen  to  vibrate  with 
one  or  two  quick  jerks,  his  head  shot  suddenly  forth, 
his  body  spread  out  apparently  to  twice  its  natural  size, 
and  the  next  moment  he  rose  like  a  bird  into  the  air ! 

With  one  bound  he  cleared  the  wide  space  that 
separated  him  from  the  nearest  of  the  gemsboks, 
alighting  on  the  hind-quarters  of  the  terrified  animal. 
A  single  blow  of  his  powerful  paw  brought  the  antelope 
on  its  haunches;  and  another,  delivered  almost  at  the 
same  instant,  stretched  its  body  lifeless  on  the  plain ! 

Without  looking  after  the  other,  or  seeming  to  care 
further  about  it,  the  lion  sprang  upon  the  body  of  hia 
victim,  and,  clutching  its  throat  between  his  jaws,  com- 
menced drinking  its  warm  blood. 

It  was  the  bull  gemsbok  which  the  lion  had  pulled 
down,  as  this  was  the  one  that  happened  to  be  nearest 
the  hill. 

As  the  lion  sprang  upon  her  companion,  the  cow  of 
course  started  with  affright,  and  all  supposed  they  would 
see  her  the  next  moment  scouring  off  over  the  plains. 
To  their  astonishment  she  did  no  such  thing.  Such  if 
not  the  nature  of  the  noble  oryx.  On  the  contrary,  as 


LIONS    STALKING   THE    GEMSIiOK.  &1 

soon  as  she  recovered  from  the  first  moments  of  alarm, 
she  whoeled  round  towards  the  enemy ;  and,  lowering 
her  head  to  the  very  ground,  so  that  her  long  horns 
projected  horizontally  in  front,  she  rushed  with  all  her 
strength  upon  the  lion !  The  latter,  in  full  enjoyment 
of  his  red  draught,  saw  nothing  of  this  manoeuvre.  The 
first  intimation  he  had  of  it  was  to  feel  a  pair  of  spears 
pierced  right  through  his  ribs,  and  it  is  not  likely  he 
felt  much  more. 

For  some  moments  a  confused  struggling  was  ob- 
served, in  which  both  lion  and  oryx  seemed  to  take 
part ;  but  the  attitudes  of  both  appeared  so  odd,  and 
changed  so  rapidly,  that  the  spectators  could  not  tell  in 
what  manner  they  were  combating.  The  roar  of  the 
lion  however  had  ceased,  and  was  now  succeeded  by 
the  more  shrill  tones  of  the  lioness,  who,  bounding  for' 
ward  upon  the  spot,  mixed  at  once  in  the  melee. 

A  single  touch  of  her  claws  brought  the  cow  oryx  to 
the  earth,  and  ended  the  strife  ;  and  the  lioness  now 
stood  over  the  victims  screaming  her  note  of  triumph. 

Was  it  a  note  of  triumph  ?  There  was  something 
odd  in  its  tone — something  singular  in  the  movements 
of  the  creature  that  uttered  it — something  strange  about 
the  whole  thing.  Why  was  the  lion  silent  ?  His  roar 
Lad  ceased,  and  he  lay  embracing  the  carcass  of  the 
bull  gemsbok,  and  apparently  drinking  its  blood.  Yet 
he  was  perfectly  without  motion,  not  a  muscle  could  be 
§een  to  move,  not  a  quiver  of  his  tawny  hide  betokened 
&at  he  breathed  or  lived !  Was  he  dead  ? 


f6  AN    ANGRY   LIONESS. 


CHAPTER  VL 

AN    ANGRY   LIONESS. 

CERTAINLY  there  was  something  mysterious  about 
the  matter.  The  lion  still  kept  his  position  ;  no  motion 
could  be  observed,  no  sound  escaped  him  ;  whereas  the 
lioness  uttered  incessantly  her  shrill  growling,  at  the 
same  time  pacing  to  and  fro,  round  and  round,  the  con- 
fused heap  of  bodies !  She  made  no  attempt  to  feed, 
though  her  prey  lay  bleeding  before  her.  Surely  her 
lord  was  not  the  cause  of  her  abstinence !  Did  he  insist 
upon  having  both  the  carcasses  to  himself? 

Sometimes  it  is  so.  Sometimes  an  old  male  plays 
the  selfish  tyrant,  and  keeps  the  younger  and  weaker 
members  of  his  family  off,  till  he  has  gorged  himself 
permitting  them  to  make  a  "  second  table "  of  his  leav- 
ings. 

In  the  present  instance  this  was  not  likely.  There 
were  two  whole  carcasses, — large  fat  carcasses, — enough 
for  both.  Besides,  the  lioness  was  evidently  the  lion's 
own  mate — his  wife.  It  was  scarcely  probable  he 
would  treat  her  so.  Among  human  beings  instances  of 
such  selfishness, — such  a  gross  want  of  gallantry,  are,  I 
regret  to  say,  by  no  means  rare  ;  but  the  young  yagers 
eouM  not  believe  the  lion  guilty  of  such  .shabby  conduct 


AN    ANGRY    LIONESS.  37 

—the  lion,  BufFon's  type  of  nobility !  No  such  thing 
But  how  was  it?  The  lioness  still  growled  and  paced 
about,  ever  and  anon  stooping  near  the  head  of  her 
partner,  which  was  not  visible  from  the  camp,  and 
placing  her  snout  in  contact  with  his  as  if  kissing  him. 
Still  there  was  no  sign  of  any  response,  no  motion  on 
his  part ;  and,  after  watching  for  a  good  while  without 
perceiving  any,  the  hunters  at  length  became  satisfied 
that  the  lion  was  dead. 

He  was  dead — as  Julius  Csesar  or  a  door-nail,  and 
eo,  too,  was  the  brace  of  gem.sboks.  The  lioness  wag 
the  only  living  thing  left  from  that  sanguinary  conflict ! 

As  soon  as  the  hunters  became  satisfied  of  this,  they 
began  to  deliberate  among  themselves  what  was  best  to 
be  done.  They  wished  to  get  possession  of  the  venison, 
but  there  was  no  hope  of  their  being  able  to  do  so,  as 
long  as  the  lioness  remained  upon  the  ground. 

To  have  attempted  to  drive  her  off  at  that  moment 
would  have  been  a  most  perilous  undertaking.  She 
was  evidently  excited  to  madness,  and  would  have 
charged  upon  any  creature  that  had  shown  itself  in  her 
neighborhood.  The  frenzied  manner  in  which  she 
paced  about,  and  lashed  her  sides  with  her  tail,  her 
fierce  and  determined  look,  and  deep  angry  growl,  all 
told  the  furious  rage  she  was  in.  There  was  menace 
in  her  fvery  movement.  The  hunters  saw  this,  and 
prudently  withdrew  themselves — so  as  to  be  near  tho 
wagons  in  case  she  might  come  that  way. 

They  thought  that  by  waiting  awhile  she  would  go 
off,  and  then  they  could  drag  the  antelopes  up  to  camp. 

But  after  waiting  a  good  while,  they  observed  no 
ehnnge  in  the  conduct  of  the  fierce  brute.  She  still 


88  AN    ANGRY    LIONESS. 

paced  around  as  before,  and  abstained  from  touching 
the  carcasses.  As  one  of  the  yagers  observed,  she 
continued  to  "  play  the  dog  in  the  manger," — would 
neither  eat  herself,  nor  suffer  anybody  else  to  eat. 

This  remark,  which  was  made  by  little  Jan,  elicited 
a  round  of  laughter  that  sounded  in  strange  contrast 
with  the  melancholy  howl  of  the  lioness,  which  still 
continued  to  terrify  the  animals  of  the  camp.  Even 
the  dogs  cowered  among  the  wheels  of  the  wagons,  or 
kept  close  to  the  heels  of  their  masters.  It  is  true  tha: 
many  of  these  faithful  brutes,  had  they  been  set  on, 
would  have  manfully  battled  with  the  lioness,  big  aa 
she  was.  But  the  young  yiigers  well  knew  that  dogs 
before  the  paws  of  an  angry  lion  are  like  mice  under 
the  claws  of  a  cat.  They  did  not  think  of  setting  them 
on,  unless  they  had  themselves  made  an  attack ;  and 
that,  the  advice  of  Hans,  coupled  with  the  counsels 
they  had  received  before  leaving  home,  prevented  them 
from  doing.  They  had  no  intention  of  meddling  with 
the  lioness ;  and  hoped  she  would  soon  retire,  and  leave 
the  game,  or  part  of  it,  on  the  ground. 

After  waiting  a  long  while,  and  seeing  that  the  lioness 
showed  no  symptoms  of  leaving  the  spot,  they  despaired 
of  dining  on  oryx  venison,  and  once  more  set  to  broiling 
their  slices  of  biltong. 

They  had  not  yet  commenced  eating,  when  they 
perceived  a  new  arrival  upon  the  scene  of  the  late 
struggle.  Half-a-dozen  hyenas  appeared  upon  the 
gr  >und ;  and  although  these  had  not  yet  touched  th« 
carcasses,  but  were  standing  a  little  way  off — through 
fear  of  the  lioness — their  hungry  looks  told  plainly 
what  their  intention  was  in  coming  there. 


AN   ANGRT   LIONKSS.  39 

Now  the  presence  of  these  hideous  brutes  was  a  new 
point  for  consideration.  If  the  lioness  should  allow 
them  to  begin  their  feast  upon  the  antelopes,  in  a  very 
short  while  scarce  a  morsel  of  either  would  remain* 
The  yagers,  although  they  had  resigned  all  hope  of 
dining  on  the  gemsbok  venison,  nevertheless  looked 
forward  to  making  their  supper  of  it;  but  if  the  hyena* 
were  permitted  to  step  in,  they  would  be  disappointed. 

How  were  the  brutes  to  be  kept  off? 

To  drive  them  off  would  be  just  as  perilous  an  under- 
taking  as  to  drive  off  the  lioness  herself. 

Once  more  Groot  Willem  and  Hendrik  talked  about 
attacking  the  latter ;  but,  as  before,  were  opposed  by 
Hans,  who  had  to  use  all  his  influence  with  his  com- 
panions before  he  could  induce  them  to  abandon  the 
rash  project. 

At  this  moment  an  unexpected  proposal  put  an  end 
to  their  discussion. 

The  proposal  came  from  Congo  the  Kaffir.  It  was 
neither  less  nor  more  than  that  he  himself  should  go 
forth  and  do  battle  with  the  lioness ! 

"What!  alone?" 

"  Alone." 

"  You  are  mad,  Congo.  You  would  be  torn  to 
pieces !" 

u  No  fear,  Mynheeren.  Congo  the  leuw  kill  without 
getting  scratch.  You  see,  young  masters.' 

"  What !  without  arms  ?  without  a  gun  ?  " 

"  Ckmgo  not  know  how  use  one,"  replied  the  Kaffir 
*you  see  how  I  do  'im,"  he  continued.  "All  Congo 
ask  you  not  come  in  way.  Young  masters,  here  stay 
and  Congo  leave  to  himself.  No  danger  Mynheeren, 


40  AN  ANGRY   LIONESS. 

Congo  fear  if  go  yonder  help  him — leuw  very  mad 
Congo  not  care  for  that — so  much  mad,  so  much  bettei 
•—leuw  no  run  away." 

"  But  what  do  you  intend  to  do,  Congo  ?  " 
"  Mynheeren  soon  all  see — see  how  Congo  kill  lion." 
The  hunters  were  disposed  to  look  upon  the  Kaffir 
as  about  to  make  a  reckless  exposure  of  his  life. 
Swartboy  would  have  treated  the  proposal  as  a  boast, 
and  laughed  thereat,  but  Swartboy  remembered  the 
humiliation  he  had  had  in  the  morning  on  account  of 
similar  conduct;  and  though  he  feared  to  be  farther 
outstripped  in  hunter-craft  by  his  rival,  he  had  the 
prudence  upon  this  occasion  to  conceal  his  envy.  He 
bit  his  thick  lips,  and  remained  silent.  Some  of  the 
boys,  and  especially  Hans,  would  have  dissuaded  Congo 
from  his  purpose  ;  but  Groot  Willem  was  inclined  to 
Jet  him  have  his  way.  Groot  Willem  knew  the  Kaffir 
better  than  any  of  the  others.  He  knew,  moreover, 
that  savage  as  he  was,  he  was  not  going  to  art  any 
foolish  part  for  the  mere  sake  of  braggadocio  He 
could  be  trusted.  So  said  Groot  Willem. 

This  argument,  combined  with  a  desire  to  eat  ^ems- 
bok  venison  for  supper,  had  its  effect.  Arend  ani*  Ham 
gave  in. 

Congo  bad  full  permission  to  battle  with  the  1^ 


HOW  CONGO  THE  KAFFIR  KILLED  A  LIONESS.      41 


CHAPTER  VII 

HOW   CONGO    THE    KAFFIR   KILLED   A    LIONESS. 

CONGO  had  now  become  an  object  of  as  great  intereu 
as  in  the  morning.  Greater  in  fact,  for  the  new  danger 
lie  was  about  to  undergo — a  combat  with  an  enraged 
lioness — was  accounted  still  greater  than  that  of  fording 
the  Gareep,  and  the  interest  was  in  proportion.  With 
eager  eyes  the  young  yagers  stood  watching  him  as  be 
prepared  himself  for  the  encounter. 

He  was  but  a  short  while  in  getting  ready.  He  was 
seen  to  enter  the  Van  Wyk  wagon,  and  in  less  than 
three  minutes  come  out  again  fully  armed  and  equipped. 
The  lioness  would  not  have  long  to  wait  for  her  assail- 
ant 

The  equipment  of  the  Kaffir  must  needs  be  described. 

It  was  simple  enough,  though  odd  to  a  stranger's  eye. 
It  was  neither  more  nor  less  than  the  equipment  of  a 
Zooloo  warrior. 

In  his  right  hand  he  held  a  bunch  of  assey<tis. — ii. 
•11  six  of  them. 

What  is  an  "  assegai  ?  " 

It  is  a  straight  lance  or  spear,  though  not  to  be  used 
as  one.  It  is  smaller  than  either  of  these  weapons, 
•horter  and  more  slender  in  tLe  shaft,  but  like  them 


42  HOW    CONGO    THE    KAFFUl 

armed  with  an  iron  head  of  arrow  shape.  In  battle  ft 
is  not  retained  in  the  hand,  but  flung  at  the  enemy; 
often  from  a  considerable  distance.  It  is,  in  short,  a 
"javelin,"  or  "dart," — such  as  was  used  in  Europe 
before  fire-arms  became  known,  and  such  as  at  present 
forms  the  war  weapon  of  all  the  savage  tribes  of  South- 
ern Africa,  but  especially  those  of  the  Kaffir  nations. 
And  well  know  they  how  to  project  this  dangerous 
missile.  At  the  distance  of  a  hundred  yards  they  will 
send  it  with  a  force  as  great,  and  an  aim  as  unerring. 
as  either  bullet  or  arrow !  The  assegai  is  flung  by  a 
single  arm. 

Of  these  javelins  Congo  carried  six,  spanning  their 
slender  shafts  with  his  long  muscular  fingers. 

The  assegais  were  not  the  oddest  part  of  his  equip- 
ment. That  was  a  remarkable  thing  which  he  bore  on 
his  left  arm.  It  was  of  oval  form,  full  six  feet  in  length 
by  about  three  in  width,  concave  on  the  side  towards 
his  body,  and  equally  convex  on  the  opposite.  More 
than  any  thing  else  did  it  resemble  a  small  boat  or  canoe 
made  of  skins  stretched  over  a  framework  of  wood, 
and  of  such  materials  was  it  constructed.  It  was,  in 
fact,  a  shield, — a  Zooloo  shield — though  of  somewhat 
larger  dimensions  than  those  used  in  war.  Notwith- 
standing its  great  size  it  was  far  from  clumsy,  but  light, 
tight,  and  .firm, — so  much  so  that  arrow,  assegai,  or 
bullet,  striking  it  upon  the  convex  side,  would  have 
glanced  off  as  from  a  plate  of  steel. 

A  pair  of  strong  bands  fastened  inside  along  the 
bottom  enabled  the  wearer  to  move  it  about  at  will ; 
Jmd  placed  upright,  with  its  lower  end  resting  upon  the 
ground,  it  would  have  sheltered  the  body  of  the  tallesl 


KILLED    A    LIONESS.  43 

man.  It  sheltered  that  of  Congo,  and  Congo  was  as 
dwarf. 

Without  another  word  he  walked  out,  the  huge  cara- 
pace on  his  left  arm,  five  of  the  assegais  clutched  in 
his  left  hand,  while  one  that  he  had  chosen  for  the  first 
throw  he  held  in  his  right.  This  one  was  grasped  near 
the  middle,  and  carried  upon  the  balance. 

No  change  had  taken  place  in  the  situation  of  affairs 
out  upon  the  plain.  In  fact,  there  had  not  been  much 
time  for  any.  Scarce  five  minutes  had  elapsed  from 
the  time  the  Kaffir  stated  his  purpose,  until  he  went 
forth  to  execute  it.  The  lioness  was  still  roaming 
about,  uttering  her  frightful  screams.  The  hyenas 
were  still  there.  The  moment  the  Kaffir  was  seen 
approaching,  the  cowardly  hyenas  fled  with  a  howl, 
and  soon  disappeared  under  the  bosch. 

Far  different  with  the  lioness.  She  seemed  to  pay 
no  regard  to  the  approach  of  the  hunter.  She  neither 
turned  her  head,  nor  looked  in  the  direction  he  was 
coming.  Her  whole  attention  was  absorbed  by  the 
mass  of  bodies  upon  the  plain.  She  yelled  her  savage 
notes  as  she  regarded  them.  She  was  no  doubt  lament- 
ing the  fate  of  her  grim  and  swarthy  partner,  that  lay 
dead  before  her  eyes.  At  all  events,  she  did  not  seem 
to  notice  the  hunter,  until  he  had  got  within  twenty 
paces  of  the  spot ! 

At  that  distance  the  Kaffir  halted,  rested  his  huge 
shield  upon  the  ground — still  holding  it  erect — poised 
the  assegai  a  moment  in  his  right  hand,  and  then  sent 
it  whizzing  through  the  ah*. 

It  pierced  the  side  of  the  tawny  brute,  and  hung 
quivering  between  her  ribs.  Only  for  a  moment.  Tlw 


44  DOW    CONGO    THE    KAFFIR 

fierce  animal  doubled  round  upon  herself,  caught  th« 
shaft  in  her  teeth,  and  broke  it  off  as  if  it  had  been  a 
Btraw ! 

The  blade  of  the  assegai  still  remained  in  the  flesh, 
but  the  lioness  waited  no  longer.  She  had  now  per- 
ceived her  enemy ;  and,  uttering  a  vengeful  scream, 
ehe  sprang  towards  him.  With  one  tremendous  bound 
she  cleared  three-fourths  of  the  space  that  lay  between 
them,  and  a  second  would  have  carried  her  upon  the 
shoulders  of  the  Kaffir ;  but  the  latter  was  prepared  to 
receive  her,  and,  as  she  rose  to  her  second  leap,  he  dis- 
appeared suddenly  from  the  scene  !  As  if  by  magic  he 
had  vanished ;  and  had  not  the  boys  been  watching  his 
every  movement,  they  would  have  been  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  had  become  of  him.  But  they  knew  that 
under  that  oval  convex  form,  whose  edges  rested  upon 
the  earth,  lay  Congo  the  Kaffir.  There  lay  he,  like  a 
tortoise  in  its  shell,  clutching  the  straps  with  all  his 
might,  and  pressing  his  carapace  firmly  against  the 
ground! 

The  Lioness  was  more  astonished  than  the  spectators. 
At  the  second  leap  she  pitched  right  down  upon  the 
shield,  but  the  drum-like  noise  made  by  her  weight, 
and  the  hard  firm  substance  encountered  by  her 
claws,  quite  disconcerted  her,  and  springing  aside 
she  stood  gazing  at  the  odd  object  with  looks  of 
•arm! 

She  stood  but  for  a  moment,  and  then,  uttering  • 
savage  growl  of  disappointment,  turned  tail  upon  it, 
and  trotted  off! 

This  growl  glided  Congo.  The  shield  was  n>  ded 
from  the  ground— only  on  one  side,  and  but  a  very  littU 


KILLED    A    LIONESS.  4i 

uray  at  first — -just  enough  to  enable  the  hunter  to  see  the 
item  of  the  retreating  lioness. 

Then  the  Kaffir  rose  quickly  to  his  feet,  and,  holding 
the  shield  erect,  prepared  for  the  casting  of  a  second 
assegai. 

This  was  quickly  thrown  and  pierced  the  animal  in 
the  flank,  where  shaft  and  all  remained  sticking  in  the 
fesh.  The  lioness  turned  with  redoubled  fury,  once 
more  charged  upon  her  assailant,  and,  as  before,  was 
met  by  the  hard  convex  surface  of  the  shield.  This 
time  she  did  not  immediately  retreat,  but  stood  menac- 
ing the  strange  object,  striking  it  with  her  clawed  hoofs, 
and  endeavoring  to  turn  it  over. 

Now  was  the  moment  of  peril  for  Congo.  Had  the 
lioness  succeeded  in  making  a  capsize,  it  would  have 
been  all  up  with  him,  poor  fellow !  But  he  knew  the 
danger,  and  with  one  hand  clutching  the  leathern  straps, 
and  the  other  bearing  upon  the  edge  of  the  frame,  he 
was  able  to  hold  firm  and  close, — closer  even  "  than  a 
barnacle  to  a  ship's  copper." 

After  venting  her  rage  in  several  impotent  attempts 
to  break  or  overturn  the  carapace,  the  lioness  at  length 
went  growling  away  towards  her  former  position. 

Her  growls,  as  before,  guided  the  actions  of  Congo. 
He  was  soon  upon  his  feet,  another  assegai  whistled 
through  the  air,  and  pierced  through  the  neck  of  the 
lioness. 

But,  as  before,  the  wound  was  not  fatal,  and  the  ani- 
mal, now  enraged  to  a  frenzy,  charged  once  more  upon 
her  assailant.  So  rapid  was  her  advance  that  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  Congo  got  under  cover.  A  mo- 
ment later,  and  his  ruse  would  have  failed,  for  th« 


46  HOW    CONGO    THE    KAFFIR 

claws  of  the  lion  rattled   upon  the    shield  as   if.    ota 
scended. 

He  succeeded,  however,  in  planting  himself  firmly, 
and  was  jnce  more  safe  under  the  thick  buffalo  hide. 
The  lioness  now  howled  with  disappointed  rage  ;  and 
after  spending  some  minutes  in  fruitless  endeavors  to 
upset  the  shield,  she  once  more  desisted.  This  time, 
however,  instead  of  going  away,  the  angry  brute  kept 
pacing  round  and  round,  and  at  length  lay  d>wn  within 
three  feet  of  the  spot.  Congo  was  besieged  ! 

The  boys  saw  at  a  glance  that  Congo  was  a  captive. 
The  look  of  the  lioness  told  them  this.  Though  she 
was  several  hundred  yards  off,  they  could  see  that  she 
wore  an  air  of  determination,  and  was  not  likely  to  de- 
part from  the  spot  without  having  her  revenge.  There 
eould  be  no  question  about  it, — the  Kaffir  was  in  "  a 
«crape." 

Should  the  lioness  remain,  how  was  he  to  get  out  of 
it?  He  could  not  escape  by  any  means.  To  raise  the 
shield  would  be  to  tempt  the  fierce  brute  upon  him. 
Nothing  could  be  plainer  than  that. 

The  boys  shouted  aloud  to  warn  him  of  his  danger. 
They  feared  that  he  might  not  be  aware  of  the  close 
proximity  of  his  enemy. 

Notwithstanding   the    danger    there   was   something 
ludicrous  in  the  situation  in  which  the  Kaffir  was  placed  ; 
and  the  young  hunters,  though  anxious  about  the  result 
could  scarce  keep  from  laughter,  as  they  looked  fortt 
upon  the  plain. 

There  lay  the  lioness  within  three  feet  of  the  shield, 
regarding  it  with  fixed  and  glaring  eyes,  and  at  inter 
vals  uttering  her  savage  growls.  There  lay  the  ovaJ 


KILLED    A    LIONESS.  47 

form,  with   Congo  beneath,  motionless  and  silenl.     A 
strange  pair  of  adversaries,  indeed  ! 

Long  time  the  lioness  kept  her  close  vigil,  scarce 
moving  her  body  from  its  crouching  attitude.  Her  tail 
only  vibrated  from  side  to  side,  and  the  muscles  of  hei 
jaws  quivered  with  subdue!  rage.  The  boys  shouted 
repeatedly  to  warn  Congo  ;  though  no  reply  came  from 
the  hollow  interior  of  the  carapace.  They  might 
have  spared  their  breath.  The  cunning  Kaffir  knew 
as  well  as  they  the  position  of  his  enemy.  Her 
growls,  as  well  as  her  loud  breathing,  kept  him  ad 
monished  of  her  whereabouts  ;  and  he  well  understood 
how  to  act  under  the  circumstances. 

For  a  full  half-hour  this  singular  scene  continued  ; 
and  as  the  lioness  showed  no  signs  of  deserting  her 
post,  the  young  yagers  at  length  determined  upon  an 
attack,  or,  at  all  events,  a  feint  that  would  draw  her  off. 

It  was  close  upon  sunset,  and  should  night  come  down 
what  would  become  of  Congo  ?  In  the  darkness  he 
might  be  destroyed.  He  might  relax  his  watchfulness, 
— he  might  go  to  sleep,  and  then  his  relentless  enemy 
would  have  the  advantage. 

Something  must  be  done  to  release  him  from  his  nar- 
row prison, — and  at  once. 

They  had  saddled  and  mounted  their  horses,  and  were 
about  to  ride  forth,  when  the  sharp-eyed  Hans  noticed 
that  the  lioness  was  much  farther  off"  from  the  shield 
than  when  he  last  looked  that  way.  And  yet  she  had 
not  moved, — at  all  events,  no  one  had  seen  her  stir — • 
And  she  was  still  in  the  very  same  attitude  !  How 
then? 

"  Ha !  look  yonder !  the  shield  is  moving !  " 


48  HOW   CONGO    THE    KAFFJ11 

As  Hans  uttered  these  words  the  eyes  of  all  turned 
suddenly  upon  the  carapace. 

Sure  enough,  it  was  moving.  Slowly  and  gradually 
it  seemed  to  glide  along  the  ground,  like  a  huge  tortoise, 
though  its  edges  remained  close  to  the  surface.  Al- 
though impelled  by  no  visible  power,  all  understood 
what  this  motion  meant, — Congo  was  the  moving 
power ! 

The  yagers  held  their  bridles  firm,  and  sat  watching 
with  breathless  interest. 

In  a  few  minutes  more  the  shield  had  moved  full  ten 
paces  from  the  crouching  lioness.  The  latter  seemed  not 
to  notice  this  change  in  the  relative  position  of  her- 
self and  her  cunning  adversary.  If  she  did,  she  beheld 
it  rather  with  feelings  of  curiosity  or  wonder  than 
otherwise.  At  all  events,  she  kept  her  post  until  the 
curious  object  had  gone  a  wide  distance  from  her. 

She  might  not  have  suffered  it  to  go  much  farther  ;  but 
it  was  now  far  enough  for  her  adversary's  purpose,  for 
the  shield  suddenly  became  erect,  and  the  Kaffir  once 
more  sent  his  assegai  whirring  from  his  hand. 

It  was  the  fatal  shaft.  The  lioness  chanced  to  be 
crouching  broadside  towards  the  hunter.  His  aim  was 
true,  and  the  barbed  iron  pierced  through  her  heart.  A 
sharp  growl,  that  was  soon  stifled, — a  short  despairing 
struggle,  that  soon  ended,  and  the  mighty  brute  lay  mo- 
tionless in  the  dust ! 

A  loud  "  hurrah ! "  came  from  the  direction  of  the 
camp,  and  the  young  yagers  now  galloped  forth  upon 
the  plain,  and  congratulated  Congo  upon  the  successful 
result  of  his  perilous  conflict. 

The  group  of  dead  bodies  was  approached,  and  thew 


KILLED    A    LIONESS.  48 

n  »t»r  %u."t>i>&e  awaited  the  hunters.  The  lion  was 
dc.cu,  as  they  nad  long  since  conjectured, — the  sharp 
horns  ot  the  oryx  had  doae  the  work  ;  but  what  aston- 
ished all  of  them  was,  that  the  horns  that  had  impaled 
th<  body  of  the  great  lion  still  remained  sticking  in  hia 
side.  The  oryy  had  been  unable  to  extricate  them,  and 
would  thus  have  perished  along  with  her  victim,  even 
had  the  lioness  not  arrived  to  give  the  fatal  blow ! 

This,  both  Congo  and  Swartboy  assured  the  party, 
was  no  uncommon  occurrence,  and  the  bodies  of  the  lion 
and  gemsbok  are  often  found  upon  the  plains  locked  in 
this  fatal  embrace ! 

The  cow  gemsbok,  yielding  the  more  tender  venison, 
was  soon  skinned  and  cut  up  ;  and  as  the  delicious  steaks 
spurted  over  the  red  coals  of  their  camp-fire,  the  young 
yagers  became  very  merry,  and  laughed  at  the  singular 
of  the  day. 


50         A  SHORT  CHAT  ABOUT  LTONS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A.   SHORT    CHAT   ABOUT   LIONS 

BEFORE  going  to  supper  the  hunters  dragged  the 
carcasses  of  both  lion  and  lioness  close  up  to  the  camp- 
fire.  A  good  pull  it  was,  but  they  managed  it  by  at- 
taching strong  "  rheims  "  of  raw  hide  around  the  necks 
of  the  creatures,  and  sliding  them  with  the  grain  of  the 
hair. 

Their  object  in  bringing  them  to  the  fire  was,  that 
they  might  have  light  to  skin  them, — not  that  they 
deem  the  lion-hides  of  any  great  value,  except  as  tro 
phies  of  their  expedition — and  tLey  were  not  going  to 
leave  such  trophies  on  the  plain  Had  the  lions  been 
permitted  to  remain  all  night  Adhere  they  had  been 
killed,  the  hyenas  would  have  eaten  them  up  before 
morning, — skins  and  all.  It  is  a  fable  which  tells  that 
the  hyena  will  not  eat  the  dead  lion.  The  filthy 
brute  will  eat  anything,  even  one  of  his  own  kind, — 
perhaps  the  most  unpalatable  morsel  he  could  well 
find. 

Of  course  the  oryx  were  also  brought  up  to  the  camp 
to  be  skinned  and  cut  up.  The  bull,  as  large  and  heavy 
as  a  dead  ass,  gave  them  a  good  pull  for  it  But  it 
afforded  Groot  Willem  an  opportunity  of  exhibiting  his 


A    SHORT    CHAT    ABODT    LIONS.  51 

enormous  strength  ;  and  the  big  boy,  seizing  the  tow 
rcpe,  dragged  »he  oryx  after  him  with  as  much  ease  as 
if  it  had  been  a  kitten  at  the  end  of  a  string  of  twine. 

Both  the  gemsboks  were  regularly  "  butchered  "  and 
cut  into  quarters,  to  be  carried  to  the  next  camp,  and 
there  dried.  They  would  have  dried  the  meat  on  the 
gpt.it,  but  the  water  where  they  had  halted  was  not  good, 
and  they  did  not  wish  to  remain  there  another  day. 

The  horns  of  the  oryx  are  also  esteemed  trophies  of 
the  chase,  and  those  of  both  that  were  killed  being  per- 
fect specimens — long,  handsomely  ringed,  and  black  as 
ebony — were  added  to  the  collection  which  the  young 
yagers  were  forming,  and  stowed  safely  away  in  the 
wagons.  The  heads,  with  the  skins  left  on,  were  care- 
fully cleaned  and  preserved,  at  no  distant  day  to  be- 
come ornaments  in  the  voor-ftuis,  or  entrance-hall,  either 
of  the  Von  Bloom  or  Van  Wyk  mansions. 

All  these  matters  being  arranged,  the  yagers  sat 
down  to  supper  around  the  camp-fire.  The  roast  ribs 
and  steaks  of  the  gemsbok  venison  proved  delicious, 
and  the  whole  party,  as  already  stated,  were  contented 
and  merry.  Of  course  lions  were  the  subject  of  con- 
versation, and  all  laughed  again  and  again  whenever 
they  thought  of  Congo  and  his  encounter. 

All  of  them,  little  Jari  and  Klaas  excepted,  had 
ttories  to  tell  of  adventures  with  lions,  for  these  animals 
*rere  still  to  be  found  in  the  Graaf  Reinet,  and  both 
Groot  Willem  and  A  rend  had  been  present  at  more 
flian  one  lion-hunt.  Hans  and  Hendrick  had  met 
ihem  in  many  an  encounter  during  the  great  elephant 
expedition,  and  Swartboy  was  an  old  Hottentot  lion 
hunter. 


52         A  SHORT  CHAT  ABOUT  LIONS. 

But  Congo  seemed  to  know  more  of  the  lion  than 
even  Swartboy,  though  the  latter  would  have  gone  wild 
had  such  a  thing  been  hinted  at  by  any  one  of  the 
party  ;  and  many  a  rival  story  of  strange  interest  frli 
from  the  lips  of  both  Kaffir  and  Bushman  at  that  same 
camp-fire.  Some  of  the  party  had  heard  of  a  mode  of 
lion-hunting  practised  by  the  Bechuana  tribes,  and, 
indeed,  in  Congo's  own  country.  There  was  nothing 
very  novel  about  the  mode.  A  number  of  people, — 
naked  savages  they  were, — attacked  the  lion  wherever 
they  met  him,  either  in  the  bush  or  on  the  open  plain, 
and  there  fought  him  to  the  death.  These  people 
carried  for  arms  only  the  assegai,  and,  as  a  sort  of  de- 
fensive weapon,  a  mop  of  black  ostrich-feathers  fastened 
upon  the  end  of  a  slender  stick,  and  somewhat  resem- 
bling a  large  fly-brush.  The  object  of  this  was  to 
disconcert  the  lion  when  rushing  upon  the  hunter.  By 
sticking  it  in  the  ground  at  the  right  moment,  the  lion 
mistakes  the  clump  of  ostrich-feathers  for  his  real 
assailant,  and,  charging  upon  it,  permits  the  hunter  to 
escape.  Such  a  ruse  is  far  inferior  to  the  trick  of  the 
carapace,  but  that  singular  mode  of  defence  against  the 
lion  was  only  practised  by  such  cunning  hunters  as 
Congo. 

Now,  as  already  stated,  the  plan  practised  by  the 
Bechuana  savages  had  nothing  very  novel  or  strange 
in  iL  Any  strangeness  about  it  consisted  in  the  fact  of 
the  imprudence  of  such  a  mode  of  attack ;  for  it  was 
eaid  that  the  hunters  did  not  stand  off  at  a  distance  and 
cast  their  assegais,  on  the  contrary,  they  retained  these 
weapons  in  their  hands,  and  used  them  as  spears,  ap- 
proaching the  lion  close  enough  to  thrust  them  into  hi» 


A    SHORT   CIIAT   ABOUT    LION8.  53 

body  !  The  consequence  was,  that  in  every  encountei 
with  their  terrible  antagonist,  several  hunters  wer« 
either  killed  or  badly  mangled.  This  was  the  thing 
that  appeared  strange  to  our  young  yagers.  They 
could  not  understand  why  any  hunters  should  attack 
the  fierce  lion  thus  boldly  and  recklessly,  when  they 
might  avoid  the  encounter  altogether!  They  could 
not  understand  why  even  savages  should  be  so  regard- 
less of  life.  Was  it  true  that  any  people  hunted  the 
lion  in  that  way  ?  They  asked  Congo  if  it  was  true. 
He  replied  that  it  was. 

Now   this   required    explanation, — and    Congo    was 
requested  to  give  it,  which  he  did  as  follows. 

The  hunters  spoken  of  were  not  volunteers.  They 
did  not  attack  the  lion  of  their  own  will  and  pleasure, 
but  at  the  command  of  the  tyrant  that  ruled  them.  It 
was  so  in  Congo's  country,  where  the  sanguinary  mon- 
ster, Chaaka,  had  sway.  The  whole  people  of  Chaaka 
were  his  slaves,  and  he  thought  nothing  of  putting  a 
thousand  of  them  to  death  in  a  single  morning  to  gratify 
some  petty  spleen  or  dislike  !  He  had  done  so  on  rnor« 
than  one  occasion,  often  adding  torture.  The  tales  of 
horrors  practised  by  these  African  despots  would  be 
incredible  were  it  not  for  the  full  clear  testimony  es- 
tablishing their  truth  ;  and,  although  it  forms  no  excuse 
for  slavery,  the  contemplation  of  such  a  state  of  things 
in  Africa  lessens  our  disgust  for  the  system  of  Ameri- 
can bondage.  Even  the  atrocious  slave-trade,  with  all 
the  horrors  of  the  u  middle  passage,"  appears  mild  in 
comparison  with  the  sufferings  endured  by  the  subject* 
of  such  fearful  tyrants  as  Chaaka  Dingaan,  or  Me 
•elekatse ! 


54  A.    SHORT    CHAT   ABOUT   LIONS. 

Congo  related  to  the  young  yagers  that  it  was  cut 
tomary  for  Chaaka's  people  to  act  as  the  herdsmen  of 
his  numerous  flocks,  and  that  when  any  of  his  carthi 
were  killed  by  a  lion, — a  frequent  occurrence, — tho 
unfortunate  creatures  who  herded  them  were  com- 
manded to  hunt  the  lion,  and  bring  in  his  head,  or 
tuffer  death  in  case  of  failure ;  and  this  sentence  waa 
sure  to  be  carried  into  effect. 

This  explained  the  apparently  reckless  conduct  of  the 
hunters. 

Congo  further  stated  that  he  had  been  compelled  to 
take  part  in  several  of  these  lion-hunts,  in  each  of 
which  the  lives  of  men  were  sacrificed.  He  spoke  of 
one  in  particular  where  no  less  than-  ten  hunters  had 
been  killed  before  the  lion  was  captured; — captured, 
nc  t  killed,  for  on  this  occasion  the  despot  had  taken  a 
tthim  into  his  head,  and  ordered  the  fierce  animal  to  be 
iken  alive  !  His  command  was,  that  if  the  lion  were 
jot  brought  before  him  alive,  and  without  a  wound  or 
scratch,  every  man  engaged  in  the  hunt  should  suffer 
death !  As  the  unfortunate  hunters  well  knew  the 
threat  was  no  idle  one,  they  caught  the  lion  in  their 
naked  arms,  and  succeeded  in  tying  him,  but  not  until 
ten  of  their  number  had  fallen  victims  to  their  involun- 
tary zeal ! 

To  these  and  other  talos  of  lions  did  the  young 
pagera  listen  as  they  sat  around  the  blazing  camp  -fire 


Tfitt    UNICOhN.  55 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    UNICORN. 

THE  oryx  next  became  the  subject  of  converBtttiotti 
and  Swartboy  could  tell  more  about  it  than  any  one. 
Of  the  oryx  Congo  knew  very  little,  as  the  region  most 
frequented  by  this  beautiful  antelope  lies  farther  west 
than  the  country  of  the  Kaffir  tribes.  Its  head- 
quarters are  in  the  land  of  the  Namaquas,  though  it  is 
thinly  scattered  all  around  the  borders  of  the  Great 
Kalihari  Desert. 

The  oryx  is  a  desert-dwelling  antelope,  can  live  with- 
out water,  and  grows  fat  even  on  the  plants  that  thinly 
vegetate  over  the  barren  soil.  It  is  a  bold  creature — 
often  beats  off  the  lion,  or  kills  him  by  impalement  on  its 
long  bayonet-like  horns.  Of  the  truth  of  this  fact  our 
yagers  had  that  day  had  proof.  The  oryx  when  hunted 
does  not,  b'ke  many  other  antelopes,  make  for  either 
water  or  cover.  It  strikes  in  a  straight  line  for  ita 
desert  home,  trusting  to  its  heels  for  safety.  And  its 
coniidence  in  them  is  seldom  misplaced.  A  swift  horse 
alone  can  overtake  and  bring  it  to  a  stand  ;  unless  it  be 
rery  fat,  and  then  it  is  more  easily  "  blown." 

An  interesting  point  occurred  in  the  conversation 
i  mt  the  oryx. 


58  THE   UNICORJT. 

Arend  and  some  of  the  others  had  read  in  severa. 
books  of  travellers  that  the  oryx  was  supposed  to  be 
the  fabled  "  unicom,"  derived  from  Egyptian  sculp 
tures.  They  asked  if  this  was  the  case.  Their  ques 
tion  was  not  put  to  Swartboy,  you  may  be  sure,  but  to 
Hans  the  naturalist,  of  course. 

Hans  regarded  the  supposition  as  a  very  silly  one. 
A  mere  fancy  of  some  early  South  African  traveller, 
that  had  been  repeated,  parrot-like,  in  the  books  of 
other  travellers  and  the  writings  of  several  closet- 
naturalists.  The  supposition  of  the  oryx  being  the 
original  of  the  unicorn  rested  only  upon  the  fact  that 
its  horns  when  seen  en  profile  appear  as  but  one  ;  and 
the  unicorn  is  so  figured  on  the  Egyptian  sculptures. 
Now  this  argument  can  be  advanced  in  favor  OT 
several  other  antelopes,  and  therefore  falls  at  once  to 
the  ground  as  regards  the  oryx. 

Hans  mentioned  several  reasons  why  the  gemsbok 
could  not  be  the  ''  fabled  unicorn."  Its  form,  and  par- 
ticularly the  shape  of  its  head,  are  quite  unlike  tho 
sculptures  of  that  famous  creature.  Its  horns,  both  in 
length  and  "  set,"  even  when  seen  en  profile,  differ 
altogether  from  that  of  the  unicorn,  which  points  for- 
ward, whereas  the  horns  of  the  oryx  extend  backward 
almost  horizontally,  and  sometimes  even  touching  the 
Banks  of  the  animal. 

"  No,"  continued  Hans  ;  "  if  the  Egyptian  unicorn  be 
not  a  fable — if  it  be  the  representation  of  any  animal 
in  Africa,  that  animal  is  the  gnoo ;  and  I  regard  it  as 
something  singular  that  the  resemblance  between  the 
gnoo— I  mean  the  common  species,  not  the  '  brindled ' — 
and  the  fabled  unicorn,  has  not  long  since  been  noticed 
by  naturalists  and  travellers. 


THE    UNICOKN.  5? 

"I  should  fancy  that  no  one  could  look  upon  the 
pictures  of  both  without  being  struck  by  this  resem- 
blance. Their  forms,  both  of  head  and  body,  the  ele- 
gant rounding  of  limb,  the  split  hoof,  the  long  tufted 
tails,  the  proud  arching  necks,  with  full  flowing  mane, — 
nil  these  points  go  to  show  that  the  gnoo  was  copied  for 
the  unicorn.  The  one  horn  is  the  only  circumstance 
that  appears  to  invalidate  my  theory,  but  even  in  thia 
respect  the  gnoo  bears  a  much  greater  resemblance  to 
the  unicorn  than  does  the  oryx.  The  horns  of  the  gnoo 
are  set  in  such  a  manner  that  it  often  appears  a  unicorn. 
Their  tips  do  not  rise  above  the  level  of  the  skull ;  and 
in  consequence  of  this,  and  also  from  the  manner  in 
which  the  animal  frequently  carries  its  head,  only  one 
horn  is  visible,  the  other  being  inconspicuous  against 
the  dark  ground  of  the  head  and  mane.  Often  only 
half  the  horn  appears  at  a  distance,  and  is  then  seen 
pointing  forward  and  '  set,'  very  similarly  to  the  brow 
ornaments  of  the  unicorn. 

"  The  horn  of  the  unicorn  is  usually  represented 
quite  straight  in  modern  paintings ;  but  this  is  not  cor- 
rect, according  to  the  Egyptian  sculpture,  where  a  curve 
is  given, — a  positive  imitation  of  the  curve  in  the  horns 
of  the  oryx  !  Even  though  it  were  straight,  this  would 
Bcarce  invalidate  my  theory,  for  the  horns  of  the  young 
'jryx  are  straight  also,  and  we  might  suppose  a  young 
one  to  be  represented. 

<*  I  do  not  beg  the  question  in  this  way,  however," 
continued  Hans,  "  for  I  know  that  whatever  animal  the 
Egyptians  meant  on  their  sculptures  must  have  been 
well  kno^  n  to  them,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  they  would 
have  pictured  a  specimen  of  immature  age.  The  singu- 
3* 


58  THE    UKICORIf. 

lar  character  of  the  gnoo,  its  odd  and  eccentric  habits, 
as  well  as  the  eccentricity  of  its  form  and  appearanc^ 
must  have  drawn  attention  to  it  from  the  earliest  times, 
and  such  an  animal  would  not  fail  to  be  pictured  by  the 
Egyptians.  As  to  the  one  horn,  I  regard  the  existetce 
of  that,  either  as  the  result  of  imperfect  observation  on 
the  part  of  the  Egyptian  sculptors,  or,  what  is  moie 
likely,  a  want  of  knowledge  of  their  art.  Egyptian 
sculpture  is  at  best  but  a  rude  affair,  and  the  peculiar 
curve  and  set  of  the  oryx  horns  are  difficult  to  depict. 
Even  in  this  very  hour  of  high  art,  our  painters  do  not 
give  the  most  correct  delineation  of  the  head  of  a  geins- 
bok.  So,  you  see,  I  make  out  a  tolerably  clear  case, 
that  the  gnoo  of  South  Africa  is  the  original  of  that 
mysterious  celebrity — the  unicorn" 

The  naturalist  had  fairly  established  his  point,  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  the  young  yagers,  who  then  asked 
him  some  questions  about  the  unicorn  mentioned  in  the 
Bible. 

"As  to  the  unicorn  of  Scripture,"  replied  Hans,  "  thai 
is  a  very  different  affair.  There  can  be  no  mistake 
about  the  animal  meant  by  Job  when  he  wrote,  '  Canst 
thou  bind  the  unicorn  with  his  band  in  the  furrow  ?  or 
will  he  harrow  the  valleys  after  thee  ?  Wilt  thou  trust 
him  because  his  strength  is  great  ?  or  wilt  thou  leave 
thy  labor  to  him  ? '  This  is,  in  reality,  a  unicorn — the 
one-horned  rhinoceros" 

Resuming  the  subject  of  the  oryx,  Hans  informed  hia 
companions  that  this  animal  formed  the  type  of  a  genus 
of  animals  called  Oryx,  of  which  there  were  three 
other  species, — the  "  addax,"  the  "  abu-harb,"  and  tin 
B  algazel." 


THE    UNICORN.  59 

The  "  addax  "  ( Oryx  addax)  is  a  native  of  Central 
Africa  generally,  and  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  oryx 
but  its  horns,  instead  of  being  straight,  are  twisted 
ipirally.  They  are  smaller  in  the  female,  which  is 
agreeable  to  the  usual  disposition  of  these  appendages, 
though  contrary  to  that  of  the  horns  of  the  gcmsbok. 
The  color  of  the  addax  is  greyish-white  over  the  body 
and  reddish-brown  upon  the  head  and  neck,  wilh  a 
white  patch  across  the  face.  It  is  not  gregarious,  but 
lives  in  pairs  on  the  sandy  deserts,  for  traversing  which 
its  broad  hoofs  are  peculiarly  adapted.  It  was  known 
to  the  ancients,  and  Pliny  speaks  of  it  under  the  name 
Strepsiceros. 

The  "  abu-harb "  ( Oryx  leucoryx)  is  also  a  large 
powerful  antelope,  with  long  sharp  horns  slightly  curved 
backward.  Its  color  is  cream-white,  with  a  brown 
mark  on  the  forehead,  another  on  the  cheeks,  and  a 
rust-brown  color  over  the  neck  and  throat.  In  form 
it  bears  a  good  deal  of  resemblance  to  the  oryx,  and 
was  really  the  animal  known  by  this  name  to  the 
Greeks  and  Romans.  But  naturalists  now  apply  the 
name  "  oryx  "  to  the  gemsbok  or  Cape  oryx,  (  0.  Capen 
tis.) 

The  "abu-harb"  is  a  native  of  Kordofan  and  Sen- 
naar,  and  it  is  one  of  those  that  are  found  upon  the 
sculptures  of  Nubia  and  Egypt.  Unlike  the  addax,  it 
is  gregarious  in  its  habits,  and  lives  in  large  herds. 

The  fourth  species  of  oryx  is  the  "algazel,"  (0.  alga- 
zella.)  This  is  also  a  native  of  Central  Africa,  but  les» 
is  known  of  it  than  of  any  of  the  other  three ;  and  there 
are  naturalists  who  regard  it  as  merely  a  variety  of  thi 
"abu-harb." 


60  THE    UNICOKN 

When  Hans  had  finished  his  learned  discourse,  it  was 
full  time  for  retiring  to  rest,  so  the  whole  party  crept 
into  their  wagons,  and  went  to  sleep. 


THK    CAMEL-RIRWS. 


CHAPTER   X. 

CHE    CAMEL-BIRDS. 

On  leaving  \.»t  u  drift "  where  they  had  crossed  the 
Oninge  River,  ou\  hunters  "  treked  "  in  a  northeasterly 
direction.  Had  tKoy  gone  due  north  they  would  soon 
have  reached  the  rim  of  the  Great  Kalihari  Desert — 
the  Siiara  of  Southern  Africa.  Of  course  they  could 
not  have  penetrated  this,  and  would  necessarily  have 
been  compelled  to  head  in  a  new  direction,  either  to 
the  east  or  west.  But  they  had  long  since  determined 
on  an  easterly  course,  as  the  region  lying  to  the  east- 
ward of  the  desert  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  grand 
country  for  the  large  animals — the  buffalo,  the  elephant, 
and  the  camelopard ;  and  the  rivers  in  that  part  were 
filled  with  huge  sea-cows  (hippopotami)  and  gigantic 
crocodiles.  That  was  the  very  country  the  young 
yagers  wanted  to  be  in. 

They  were  not  travelling  without  a  guide.  Congo 
was  their  guide.  He  knew  every  inch  of  the  route. 
He  had  promised  to  bring  them  into  a  country  abound- 
ing in  elephants  and  giraffes ;  and  no  doubt  was  enter- 
tained that  the  Kaffir  would  keep  his  promise. 

Next  day  they  were  on  the  move  at  an  early  hour. 
They  made  a  long  day's  march,  and,  halting  a  little 


62  THE    CAMEL-BIRDS. 

before  sunset,  outspanned  in  a  grove  of  mokhala-treea, 
standing  upon  the  very  edge  of  a  bleak  desert,  that 
stretched  before  them  as  far  as  they  could  see, — and 
indeed  much  further.  This  desert  had  a  very  arid  nnd 
parched  appearance,  the  only  vegetation  upon  it  btiug 
solitary  plants  of  the  arborescent  aloe,  with  its  large 
coral-red  flower-spike,  palm-like  zamias,  some  species 
of  cactus-like  euphorbias,  and  here  and  there  small 
clumps  of  Acacia  horrida,  or  "wait-a-bit"  thorns,  as 
these  bushes  are  jocosely  termed,  from  the  disposition 
of  their  curved  spines  to  hook  upon  the  clothes  of  any 
one  passing  them. 

Both  plants  and  bushes  grew  far  apart,  and  wide 
tracts  of  the  plain  appeared  without  even  any  of  these 
to  vary  its  brown  monotony.  It  was  a  sort  of  outlying 
spur  of  the  Kalihari  Desert,  and  they  would  have  to 
cross  it  before  they  should  reach  the  country  promised 
by  their  guide.  There  would  be  fifty  miles  without 
vley,  spring,  or  stream — fifty  miles  from  water  to 
water. 

They  had  outspanned  by  the  last  spring,  which 
gurgled  out  among  the  roots  of  the  mokhala-trees  upon 
the  very  edge  of  the  desert.  There  they  intended  re- 
maining for  a  couple  of  days  to  dry  the  flesh  of  the 
gemsboks,  and  also  to  recruit  their  animals  and  prepare 
them  for  the  long  waterless  journey  of  the  desert, — a 
perilous  passage. 

It  was  near  sunset  when  they  had  finished  "outspan- 
ning,"  having  formed  their  camp  in  the  centre  of  the 
tookhala  grove,  and  not  far  from  the  spring. 

Hans,  in  a  contemplative  mood,  had  wandered  to  the 
edge  of  the  grove ;  and,  seating  himself  under  one  of 


THE    CAMKL-BIRDS.  63 


the  trees,  whose  full  umbrella-like  top  cast  a  fine 
wan  g<u-ing  out  upon  the  wide  treeless  waste. 

He  had  not  been  long  in  this  situation,  when  his  at« 
lection  was  attracted  to  three  upright  forms  that  ap- 
peared upon  the  plain  at  the  distance  of  some  hundred 
yards  from  the  grove.  They  were  bipeds,  for  he  saw 
them  from  head  to  heel.  Not  human  bipeds,  however, 
but  birds.  They  were  ostriches. 

The  n:crest  child  could  have  told  that  much  —  anybody 
—  for  who  does  not  recognize  the  great  African  ostrich 
at  the  first  glance  ?  The  size  and  form  of  the  Struthio 
camdiis  are  too  peculiar  to  admit  of  its  being  taken  for 
any  other  bird.  The  American  "rhea,"  or  the  Austra- 
lian "  emeu,"  might  pass  for  its  half-grown  young,  but 
full-si/ed  African  ostrich  is  not  to  be  mistaken  for  any 
of  its  pigmy  relatives,  either  in  Australia,  New  Zealand 
the  Indian  archipelago,  or  America.  It  is  the  great 
bird  of  birds  —  the  biggest  that  carries  feathers. 

Of  course  Hans  knew  the  three  to  be  ostriches  the 
moment  his  eye  rested  upon  them  —  a  cock  and  two 
hens.  This  was  easily  told,  for  there  is  as  much  differ- 
ence between  the  male  and  female  of  these  birds,  as  be- 
tween the  brilliant  peacock  and  his  dingy  spouse.  The 
greater  size  of  the  former  ;  the  deep  black  color  of  his 
body  contrasting  strongly  with  the  snow-white  plumes 
of  his  wings  and  tail,  —  and  in  the  desert  these  are  snow- 
white  —  distinguish  him  at  once  from  his  female  com- 
panions. Their  color  is  a  nearly  uniform  grayish 
brown,  an  i  they  want  those  splendid  jet  and  snowy 
plumes  that  adorn  the  back  of  their  lord  and  master,  and 
which  have  been  from  all  time  so  highly  prized  as  oiua> 
Went*  by  both  savage  and  civilized  people. 


64  THE    CAMEL-BIRDS. 

A  cock  and  two  hens  they  were,  that  presented  them- 
selves before  the  eyes  of  the  young  naturalist. 

They  were  inarching  slowly  along.  They  were  not 
affrighted.  They  evidently  had  seen  nothing  of  tlio 
camp.  How  could  they,  as  it  was  behind  the  trees  in 
the  centre  of  the  grove  ?  They  occasionally  bent  their 
Jong  necks  to  one  side  or  the  other,  and  cropped  a  leaf, 
or  picked  up  a  seed,  but  then  continued  their  course. 
From  their  following  a  straight  line  Hans  concluded 
they  were  not  feeding  in  the  regular  way,  but  bent 
towaids  some  point,  perhaps  to  their  night  resting- 
place. 

When  first  observed,  they  were  coming  in  a  side 
direction,  that  is,  transversely  to  the  direction  in  which 
Hans  himself  was  facing.  In  a  short  time  they  had 
passed  before  him,  and  were  now  widening  the  distance, 
and  getting  farther  off  into  the  desert. 

Hans  at  first  thought  of  calling  to  the  others,  who 
were  all  busy  about  the  wagons,  and  had  not  seen  the 
ostriches.  He  was  thinking  also  of  some  plan  by  which 
the  birds  might  be  captured  or  killed. 

After  a  moment's  consideration,  he  gave  up  the  idea 
of  either  one  thing  or  the  other.  The  sight  of  an  ostrich 
was  nothing  new  to  any  of  the  party.  Jan  and  Klaan 
might  have  cared  for  it,  but  both  were  tired  after  their 
long  hot  ride,  and  had  already  fallen  asleep  on  the  grass 
Better  not  disturb  them,  thought  Hans. 

As  to  the  killing  or  capturing  the  ostriches,  after  > 
moment's  reflection,  Hans  also  gave  up  that  design.  Th> 
birds  were  already  passing — to  have  stalked  within  sho, 
upon  the  naked  plain  would  have  been  impossible,  fcx 
Hans  well  knew  the  wary  nature  of  the  ostrich  ;  and  tc 


THE    CAMEL-BIRDS.  f>.ri 

have  attempted  a  chase  with  their  tired  horses  \vouio 
have  been  equally  idle. 

Hans,  therefore,  held  his  peace,  and  sat  still  ;  follow- 
ing with  his  eyes  the  retreating  forms  of  the  three  great 
camel-birds. 

Their  long  strides  soon  carried  them  far  off,  but  be^ 
fore  they  had  receded  half-a-mile,  the  eyes  of  the 
naturalist  were  removed  from  them,  and  turned  on  • 
different  object 


6F;  IrtR    SMALLEST    OV   FOXKR. 


CHAPTER  XT- 

THE    SMALLEST    OF    FOXES 

THE  object  which  now  fixed  the  attention  of  the  natu- 
ralist was  a  quadruped, — a  very  small  one,  not  bigger 
than  a  medium-sized  cat,  but  altogether  different  in  form 
and  proportions.  Unlike  the  cats,  it  had  a  long  sharp 
snout,  and  a  thick  bushy  tail.  It  stood  higher  upon  its 
legs,  too,  than  do  animals  of  the  cat  kind,  but  the  most 
remarkable  feature  about  it  was  its  ears.  These  were 
remarkable  for  their  length,  which  was  out  of  all  pro- 
portion to  the  size  of  the  creature.  Its  whole  body  was 
barely  one  foot  long,  and  yet  the  ears  stood  full  six 
inches  above  the  crown  of  its  head  !  They  stood  quite 
erect,  broad,  stiff,  and  pointed,  and  ending  in  an  acute 
angle  at  the  tips. 

Its  color  was  a  beautiful  Isabella  above,  and  cream- 
*rhitt  underneath.  No  ;  the  creature  was  not  like  a 
cat,  nor  a  dog  neither,  though  it  was  more  like  the  latter 
than  the  former.  But  there  is  an  animal  related  to 
the  canine  family  to  which  it  bore  a  very  strong 
resemblance,  and  that  is  the  fox,  for  it  was  a  fox,  the 
very  smallest  in  the  world,  the  "caama"  of  Southern 
Aft  ica.  And  yet,  correctly  speaking,  it  was  not  a  'b* 
neither,  but  &fennec. 


THE    SMALLEST    OF    FOXES.  67 

What  is  a  "  fennec  ?  " 

That  is  an  interesting  question,  and  cne  about  which 
naturalists  have  bothered  their  brains  a  good  deal.  It 
is  an  animal  of  which  there  are  several  species  existing 
throughout  Africa  ;  and  of  which  the  celebrated  travel- 
ler Bruce, — who,  everybody  thought,  lied  so  largely, 
but  about  whom  conceited  ignorance  has  since  change! 
its  opinion, — first  gave  an  account. 

It  differs  from  the  foxes  in  several  respects,  but  the 
most  remarkable  difference  is  found  in  the  form  of  tho 
eye.  In  the  true  foxes  the  pupil  is  linear  or  elliptical, 
while  that  of  the  fennec  is  round,  thus  showing  the  dif- 
ference of  habit — for  the  foxes  are  in  reality  nocturnal 
animals,  while  the  fennecs  are  diurnal.  Some  species 
of  foxes,  however,  are  twilight  prowlers,  and  one  or  two 
of  the  fennecs  are  also  crepuscular. 

It  is,  therefore,  scarce  possible  to  draw  a  line  of  de- 
marcation between  the  two.  The  fennecs,  however, 
have  been  formed  into  a  separate  genus,  termed  Megcdo- 
tis,  from  the  extreme  size  of  their  ears.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  question  is  thus  settled  that  has  so  much 
bothered  the  closet-naturalists  ;  who,  taking  their  ideas 
from  the  anatomy  of  the  fennec,  have  classed  it  accord- 
ing to  their  several  fancies ;  one  making  it  a  dog, 
another  a  cat,  a  third  a  fox,  a  fourth  a  civet,  a  fifth  a 
hyena,  and  a  sixth  placing  it  among  the  galagos  ! 

Let  us  call  it  a  "  fennec,"  or  diurnal  fox,  and  saj 
farther  that  although  there  are  several  species  of  true 
foxes  in  Africa,  and  several  of  jackal-foxes,  there  are 
also  several  of  fennecs.  Three  are  well  known.  The 
fennec  of  Bruce,  (Megalotu  zerda,)  first  described  by 
that  traveller  as  seen  by  him  in  Abyssinia,  but  also  i» 


68  THE    SMALLEST    OF    FOXES. 

iligenous  to  South  Africa;  the  "  zabora,"  (Megalotii 
fmru'li'cus,)  a  native  of  Nubia  and  Kordofan,  and  sup- 
posed to  be  the  animal  represented  on  Egyptian  temples, 
which  has  been  taken  for  the  figure  of  the  jackal ;  and 
the  "  caama  fennec,"  (Megalotis  caama.) 

A  fourth  species,  "  Lalande's  zerda,"  {Megalotis  La- 
liindii,)  has  been  "  hooked  out  "  of  this  genus,  and  made 
to  form  one  of  itself,  (Agriodus,)  not  because  its  habits 
in  anywise  differ  from  the  Megalotides,  but  because  it 
chances  to  differ  slightly  from  them  in  the  form  and  ar- 
rangement of  its  "  ivories." 

Now  of  all  these  fennecs  the  one  which  was  passing 
before  the  eyes  of  Hans  was  the  "  caama,"  the  smallest 
of  the  whole  tribe  either  of  fennecs  or  foxes. 

Crouching  just  like  a  fox,  now  trotting  nimbly  a  few 
paces,  now  halting  and  squatting  close  to  the  ground, 
as  though  fearful  of  being  observed,  the  little  creature 
passed  on. 

What  was  it  after?  What  prey  was  it  in  pursuit 
of? 

On  watching  it  for  a  few  moments,  Hans  saw  to  his 
great  surprise  that  it  was  after  the  ostriches ! 

It  was  going  the  same  way  they  had  gone,  its  sharp 
?nout  set  towards,  and  its  eyes  evidently  bent  upon,  them. 
Whenever  they  stopped  it  did  the  same,  squatting  down 
us  it  did  so,  as  if  to  avoid  their  observation  ;  and  when 
they  moved  on,  it  also  trotted  forward,  halting  at  intervals 
behind  stones  and  bushes  and  earnestly  regarding  the 
birds  in  advance.  Beyond  a  doubt  it  was  trailing  them 
But  what  could  this  little  creature  want  with  the  ostriches? 
Certainly  not  to  attack  them,  though  it  wa;?  following 
after  them  just  as  a  fox  would  a  covey  of  partridges. 


THR    SMALLEST    OP    FOXES.  G9 

It  could  not  l>3  that,  however  ;  as  a  kick  from  the 
mighty  leg  of  one  of  these  birds  would  have  hotted 
the  fennec  fifty  yards  over  the  plain,  like  a  ball  from  a 
cricket-bat. 

No ;  it  could  not  be  following  them  with  hostile  in- 
tentions,— puny  pigmy  that  it  appeared  beside  the  big 
carnal-birds  ! 

FDr  what,  then,  was  it  trailing  them  ?  Of  course  it 
was  not  running  on  the  scent,  but  the  view.  On  their 
track  it  certainly  was,  and  as  certainly  was  it  "dogging" 
them.  For  what  purpose  ? 

This  was  just  what  the  naturalist  Hans  wished  to 
know  ;  and  he  remained  closely  observing  the  move- 
ments of  this  miniature  "  microscopic  "  fox. 

Talking  of  a  microscope  reminds  me  that  Hans  at  that 
moment  took  out  of  his  pocket  a  telescope, — a  small  one, 
which  he  habitually  carried.  This  he  did,  because,  in 
a  few  minutes,  the  ostriches  were  very  distant  over  the 
plain,  and  their  pursuer  the  fennec  was  no  longer  visible 
to  the  naked  eye.  With  the  glass,  however,  Hans  could 
still  make  it  out,  and  could  see  that  it  was  manoeuvring 
just  as  when  it  passed  him.  All  at  once  the  ostriches 
came  to  a  stop ;  and,  after  an  apparent  consultation 
among  themselves,  the  cock  squatted  down,  and  his  long 
legs  were  no  longer  seen.  He  was  flat  down  upon  his 
breast,  and  even  through  his  small  pocket-glass  Hans 
could  tell  that  his  body  looked  more  spread  and  bulky 
than  before.  Was  he  covering  eggs?  Was  there  a 
neot  ?  The  appearance  of  the  ground  about  the  sitting 
bird  favored  that  belief.  There  was  a  slight  promi- 
nence around  the  body  of  the  bird  having  the  semblance 
of  a  bird's  nest ;  but  Hans  knew  that  the  nest  of  the 


70  THE    SMALLEST    OF    FOXES. 

ostrich  is  cf  very  simple  construction, — a  mere  cavitj 
scratched  out  in  the  sand,  ard  scarce  to  be  recognized 
from  any  great  distance.  Several  white  objects  lying 
around  the  spot  led  Hans  to  the  conclusion  that  there 
was  a  nest.  These  objects  did  not  seem  larger  than 
"jack-stones,"  but  Hans,  calculating  well  the  distance 
that  separated  them  from  his  eye,  believed  them  t«  l>e 
ostrich-eggs,  and  therefore  as  large  as  paving-stones. 
Hans  knew  that  around  the  nest  of  the  ostrich  scattered 
eggs  are  usually  found — said  by  some  to  be  there  laid 
as  a  deposit  for  the  food  of  the  expected  progeny  during 
their  early  days  of  chickhood  ! 

The  two  hens,  after  moving  about  awhile  also  squat- 
ted down,  but  they  appeared  only  to  kneel  with  their 
great  legs  doubled  under  them ;  whereas  the  cock  sat 
low  and  flat  upon  his  breast.  This  only  more  convinced 
Hans  that  there  was  a  nest,  and  that  the  cock  ostrich 
was  taking  his  turn  of  duty,  while  the  hens  were  simply 
gone  to  roost  in  the  usual  manner. 

That  the  cock  covered  the  eggs  was  nothing  surpris- 
ing to  the  young  naturalist,  who  knew  that  it  is  the  habit 
of  the  male  of  these  birds  to  do  so,  and  that  he  usually 
takes  his  turn  during  the  night,  when  it  is  colder,  and 
his  greater  size  and  strength  are  required  to  keep  the 
eggs  warm,  as  well  as  to  protect  the  nest  from  prowling 
beasts  of  prey.  One  or  other  of  the  hens  would  very 
likely  relieve  him  about  daybreak.  Of  course  both  the 
hens  were  mothers  in  prospective  of  the  future  brood,  as 
the  cock  ostrich  is  a  terrible  "  Mormon  ; "  and  frequently 
does  the  polygamous  on  a  large  scale,  having  sometimea 
as  many  as  a  dozen  wives.  Our  old  fellow  was  rather 
a  moderate  Mormon,  as  he  appeared  to  be  satisfied  with 


THE    SMALLEST    OF    FOXES.  71 

two — though  bigamy,  no  doubt,  is  quite  as  sinful  as 
polygamy. 

Hans  concluded  that  there  was  a  nest,  and  full  of  eggs 
in  process  of  being  hatched.  It  was  no  evidence  against 
this,  that  the  birds  had  been  away  from  it  together.  The 
day  had  been  a  very  warm  one,  and  during  the  middle 
parl  of  the  day — particularly  in  hot  weather — the  ostrich 
wanders  away  from  its  eggs,  leaving  the  sun  to  do  its 
work  for  it.  The  hotter  the  country,  the  less  does  the 
ostrich  require  to  "set;"  and  in  parts  of  Africa  within 
the  torrid  zone  where  the  heat  reaches  a  very  high 
degree,  the  ostrich  has  very  little  to  do  with  the  hatch- 
ing of  its  eggs,  but  buries  them  in  the  burning  sand,  and 
makes  the  sun  its  "  incubator  !  " 

But  what  had  become  of  our  fennec — poor  little 
fellow  ? 

So  asked  Hans  of  himself,  as  he  swept  the  plain  with 
his  telescope.  While  watching  the  late  movements  of 
the  birds,  he  had  altogether  forgotten  the  beast. 

After  a  time  he  was  just  able  to  make  out  its  small 
whitish  body  stretched  upon  the  ground,  under  the  lee 
of  a  little  bush,  and  apparently  resolved  upon  passing 
the  night  there.  Had  there  been  any  hole  near,  it  would 
have  preferred  lodging  in  that — for  the  fennec  is  an 
animal  that  makes  its  home  in  a  "  burrow." 

Nigbt  had  suddenly  come  on,  and  the  darkness  pro- 
Tented  Hans  from  observing  farther  the  movements  of 
either  beast  or  bird  ;  so  putting  up  his  glass,  he  rejcf  ne>i 
bis  companions  in  the  camp. 


72  THE    WINGLESS    BIRDS. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    WINGLESS    BIRDS. 

HANS,  on  returning  to  the  camp,  gave  an  account  of 
what  he  had  seen.  All  were  interested  in  the  relation, 
but  particularly  the  boys  Klaas  and  Jan,  who  were  not 
over  satisfied  that  they  had  not  themselves  been  witnes- 
ses of  the  affair.  Hans  might  very  well  have  told  them 
of  it.  They  wouldn't  have  minded  being  waked  up  to 
see  the  ostriches,  especially  as  they  passed  so  near.  It 
wasn't  every  day  one  could  get  such  a  view  of  these  fine 
birds — they  were  so  shy  no  one  could  get  near  them, 
and  Hans  might  very  well  have  come  into  camp  and 
told  them,  or  called  them,  Klaas  and  Jan,  to  the  spot. 
Hans  didn't  care  whether  they  ever  saw  any  thing  worth 
seeing — he  didn't. 

So  grumbled  Klaas  and  Jan,  because  Hans  had  not 
waked  them  out  of  their  sweet  siesta,  to  see  three  os- 
triches stalking  over  the  plain,  and  not  doing  any  thing 
in  particular. 

But  boys  are  boys,  and  so  long  as  they  are  boys,  they 
will  feel  a  wonderful  interest  in  birds — especially  when 
these  birds  stand  nearly  ten  feet  high,  and  weigh  three 
hundred  pounds,  as  ostriches  do. 

Had  it  been  a  buffalo,  or  a  giraffe,  or  even  an  ele 


THE    WINGLESS    BIRDS.  73 

phant,  neither  Klaas  nor  Jan  would  have  so  much  cared. 
Beasts  are  all  very  well  in  their  way,  and  may  interest 
full-grown  hunters,  like  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem,  but 
for  "  boy  hunters,"  with  light  fowling-pieces  and  No.  5 
shot,  birds  are  the  game — though  their  No.  5  shot  would 
hardly  have  tickled  an  ostrich. 

No  matter  for  that.  They  wanted  to  see  the  great 
camel-bird  Hans  ought  to  have  apprised  them.  It 
was  "  right  mean  "  of  him  not  to  do  so, — right  mean 
said  Jan,  and  Klaas  backed  the  opinion. 

Ho\v  long  they  might  have  grumbled,  and  given  vent 
to  their  reproaches,  can  only  be  guessed  at ;  but  the 
conversation  turning  upon  ostriches  assumed  a  very 
pleasing  character  ;  and  Klaas  and  Jan,  becoming  deeply 
interested  in  it,  soon  got  over  their  little  "miff"  with 
Hans — especially  as  it  was  he  who  was  now  interesting 
them.  Upon  the  subject  of  ostriches  Hans  had  read  a 
good  deal,  and  was  well  acquainted  with  the  character 
and  habits  of  these  most  interesting  birds. 

Swartboy  stood  next  in  his  knowledge  of  the  ostrich, 
for  Swartboy  in  early  life  had  been  a  "  dweller  of  thu 
desert," — the  home  of  the  Bushman  as  well  as  the 
great  camel-bird.  Swartboy  was  only  too  happy  at  the 
opportunity  thus  offered  of  showing  off  his  knowledge, 
for  the  late  wonderful  performances  of  his  Kaffir  rival 
had  quite  thrown  him  into  the  shade. 

So  what  with  Hans's  book -knowledge  and  Swartboy '9 
practical  experience,  the  young  yagers  became  pretty 
well  acquainted  with  the  whole  "  history  "  of  the  bird. 

"The  ostrich,"  said  Hans,  "is  an  African  bird, 
though  also  found  in  the  adjacent  countries  of  Asia. 
Several  species  of  birds  somewhat  like  it,  belonging  i* 


<4  THE    WINGLESS    BIKDS. 

Soulli  America,  Australia  and  the  islands  of  the  Indiat 
Archipelago,  have  been  called  '  ostriches '  in  the  lan- 
guage of  travellers.  I  shall  have  a  word  about  these 
presently. 

"  All  over  the  African  continent,  as  well  as  Arabia, 
Syria,  and  Persia,  dwells  the  ostrich,  wheisver  theie 
are  desert  plains — for  this  bird  is  peculiarly  a  denizen 
of  the  desert,  and  never  makes  its  home  in  wood(xl, 
marshy,  or  even  fertile  districts. 

"  It  has  been  known  from  the  earliest  times,  and 
mast  have  been  more  numerous  in  the  days  of  Helio- 
gabalus  than  now,  since  that  tyrant  had  the  brains  of 
six  hundred  ostriches  served  up  at  a  single  feast  ! " 

"  Oh,  the  glutton  !  "  exclaimed  Jan. 

"  What  a  gourmand  !  "  echoed  Klaas. 

"I  should  think  after  the  feast  he  had  more  brains  in 
his  stomach  than  in  his  head,"  quietly  remarked  Arend. 

"  No  doubt  of  it,"  added  Hendrik. 

Hans  continued : — 

"  The  ancients  knew  the  ostrich  as  the  '  camel-bird," 
(Slrut//io  camelus.)  This  name  was  given  to  it  on 
account  of  its  fancied  resemblance  to  the  camel ;  and  in 
its  hoof-like  two-toed  feet,  its  long  naked  thighs  and 
neck,  and  the  pad  or  cushion  on  its  chest,  corresponding 
to  the  callosity  on  the  breast  of  the  camel,  it  does  bear 
a  resemblance  to  this  animal.  Like  it,  too,  the  ostrich 
is  formed  for  the  desert.  Aristotle  and  Pliny  described 
the  ostrich  as  half  bird,  half  quadruped." 

As  soon  as  Hans  had  given  the  more  scientific  part 
of  the  natural  history  of  the  ostrich,  Swartboy's  knowl- 
edge of  the  habits  of  the  bird  was  produced,  and  frour 
both  were  collected  the  details  that  follow. 


THE    WINGLESS    BIRDS.  75 


Ostriches  are  gregarious  —  flocks  of  fifty  may  be 
apon  the  plains,  peacefully  associating  with  zebras, 
quaggas,  wildebeests,  blue  wildebeests,  and  several 
other  plain-frequenting  antelopes. 

The  males  are  polygamous,  and  usually  have  from 
two  to  six  wives.  These  lay  twelve  to  sixteen  eggs 
each,  in  a  nest  which  is  only  a  hole  scooped  out  in  the 
sand  about  six  feet  in  diameter.  Not  more  than  half 
the  eggs  are  deposited  in  the  nest.  The  others  lie 
scattered  around,  and  are  never  hatched. 

Swartboy  alleged  that  these  were  intended  to  feed 
the  young  when  they  came  out  of  the  shell  :  but  Hang 
dissented  from  this  opinion.  The  naturalist  believed 
that  those  scattered  about  were  superfluous  eggs,  which 
were  not  deposited  in  the  nest  because  one  bird  could 
not  cover  all  that  the  whole  family  of  hens  would  lay 
and  that  once  the  "  setting  "  was  complete,  the  super- 
fluous eggs  were  dropped  about  anywhere. 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  probability  in  this  conjecture 
of  the  young  naturalist. 

It  is  certain  that  the  scattered  eggs  are  those  last 
laid,  and  that  the  birds  continue  to  drop  them  after  the 
incubation  has  commenced,  but  whether  they  form  tha 
food  of  the  young  is  a  disputed  point.  One  bird  can 
cover  from  thirty  to  forty,  placed  as  they  usually  are 
upon  their  ends,  and  Swartboy  said  that  he  had  often 
found  this  number  in  a  nest,  but  more  frequently  thirty 
was  the  "  setting." 

The  male  takes  part  in  the  incubation,  sitting  during 
the  night  ;  when  his  greater  size  and  strength  enable 
him  the  better  to  protect  the  eggs  from  cold.  The 
*  hens  "  relieve  one  another  during  the  day,  but  whe& 


76  THE    WINGLES3    BIRDS. 

the  sun  is  hot  all  leave  the  nest  to  itself,  for  hours  at  & 
time. 

Hnns  stated,  that  in  the  more  tropical  regions  the 
eggs  are  forsaken  for  long  spells,  and  the  hot  sand  and 
sun  do  the  work  of  the  parent  birds  ;  and  tha_  on  this 
account  the  period  of  incubation  is  not  fixed,  but  langes 
from  thirty  to  forty  days. 

The  young  when  hatched  are  well  developed,  and  in 
a  day  or  two  become  as  large  as  guinea-hens,  leaving 
tha  nest  and  running  about  in  charge  of  the  parent 
birds. 

At  this  period  the  old  ones  are  very  careful  of  their 
offspring.  When  an  enemy  approaches,  the  hen  that 
has  charge  of  the  flock  will  endeavor  to  attract  the 
intruder  upon  herself,  making  a  feint  of  being  wounded, 
spreading  and  drooping  her  wings,  and  tumbling  from 
side  to  side  along  the  ground,  while  the  cock  draws  off 
the  chicks  in  an  opposite  direction !  Partridges,  wild 
ducks,  and  many  other  birds,  do  the  same. 

The  eggs  of  the  ostrich  are  of  a  dull  white  color. 
They  are  not  all  of  equal  size,  nor  are  the  birds  either. 
A  medium-sized  ostrich-egg  is  six  inches  long,  and 
weighs  about  three  pounds.  It  is  excellent  eating 
when  broiled  among  hot  cinders,  and  is  a  meal  for  a 
man, — some  say  two,  some  three,  while  others  allege 
that  it  is  not  enough  for  one.  But  "  a  meal  for  a  man'' 
is  a  very  uncertain  standard,  and  depends  a  good  deal 
on  the  capacity  of  the  man's  stomach  and  the  state  of 
his  appetite.  A  better  standard  is  found  in  the  estimate 
that  one  ostrich-egg  is  equal  in  quantity  to  twenty-four 
of  the  common  domestic  fowl. 

The  shells  of  the  ostrich-eggs  are  very  strong,  ani 


THE    WINGLESS    BIKDS.  77 

used  by  the  Bushmen  and  other  natives  of  the  desert 
as  water-vessels — the  only  vessels  that  some  of  them 
have. 

A  full-grown  cock  ostrich  stands  over  nine  ft(t  in 
height,  and  weights  three  hundred  pounds.  The  legs 
of  such  a  bird  are  immensely  thick  and  muscular,  and 
the  thigh-joint  equals  in  size  the  largest  leg  of  mutton. 

The  ostrich  is  thought  to  be  the  swiftest  mnner  ii? 
creation,  but  there  are  doubts  about  this.  Certain  it  is 
that  it  cannot  be  overtaken  by  a  horse  in  a  fair  tail-on- 
end  chase  ;  but  the  bird  makes  "  doubles  "  in  running, 
and  by  observing  these,  the  mounted  hunter  sometimes 
gets  near  it  by  making  a  cut  upon  it,  and  delivers  his 
fire  as  it  passes.  To  run  an  ostrich  down,  however,  is 
considered  an  impossibility,  even  by  the  Arab  on  his 
fleet  steed.  Its  bottom  is  equal  to  its  speed,  as  it  can 
keep  up  the  pace  for  hours  together. 

The  muscular  strength  of  its  great  long  legs  is  well 
adapted  for  running  fast  and  far  ;  and  while  on  the  run 
its  hoofs  make  a  clatter  like  those  of  a  trotting  horse, 
while  large  stones  are  flung  violently  to  the  rear ! 
When  at  full  speed  it  spreads  its  white  wing-plumes, 
raising  them  over  its  back,  but  this  is  only  done  to 
balance  it,  as  it  could  not  fly  a  single  yard. 

Its  principal  weapon  of  defence  is  the  leg  with  its 
hoof-like  foot.  With  this  it  can  kick  like  a  male,  and 
the  blow  will  break  a  man's  leg,  or  send  the  breath  out 
of  his  body,  as  would  the  kick  of  a  horse ! 

But  the  principal  security  of  the  ostrich  lies  ir  its 
splendid  power  of  vision,  combined  with  its  peculiai 
habitat.  It  is  always  on  the  naked  plain,  with  nothing 
to  interrupt  the  view,  and  its  keen  eye  enables  it  to 


78  THE    WINGLESS    BIRDS. 

perceive  an  enemy  long  before  the  latter  can  get  neat 
enough  to  do  it  an  injury.  So  sharp  is  its  sight,  it  can 
see  even  farther  than  it  can  be  seen,  large  as  it  is  ! 

A  most  difficult  matter  it  is  to  get  within  shooting 
distance  of  these  wary  birds.  Sometimes  a  shot  is  ob- 
tained by  lying  in  wait  for  them  at  vleys,  or  springs, 
where  they  come  to  drink.  Many  people  deny  that 
they  ever  drink,  as  they  are  met  with  at  great  distances 
from  water ;  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  what 
may  appear  a  great  distance  to  a  tired  traveller  may  be 
nothing  to  a  fleet  ostrich,  who  can  fling  the  miles  behind 
like  a  race-horse. 

Others  have  observed  the  ostrich  come  to  drink  at  a 
particular  place  once  every  day ;  and  it  is  well  known 
that  in  captivity  they  swallow  large  quantities  of  water. 
After  drinking  they  do  not  run  so  well,  and  huntera 
take  advantage  of  this  and  run  them  down  after  leaving 
the  pool. 

There  are  hunters  residing  upon  the  desert  karoos, 
who  hunt  the  ostrich  as  a  profession.  The  feathers  are 
of  considerable  value,  as  well  as  the  skin,  which  ia 
tough  and  strong,  and  tans  into  a  fine  species  of  leather, 
out  of  which  jackets  and  other  garments  are  made.  A 
ekin  without  the  feathers  is  worth  about  one  pound 
sterling ;  and  the  long  white  plumes  of  the  wings  and 
tail,— of  which  there  are  five-and-forty  (the  finest  are 
from  the  wings,) — are  often  sold  for  a  shilling  a-piece 
on  the  spot. 

Groot  Willem  observed  that  the  ostrich  may  be  easily 
domesticated,  and  he  had  frequently  seen  tame  one* 
about  the  kraals  of  the  frontier  boors.  They  are  a  use- 
less pet,  however ;  and,  although  quite  harmless  as  far 


THE    WINGLESS    BIRDS.  7* 

us  man  is  concerned,  they  become  troublesome  in  tie 
Bum-yard,  where  they  trample  the  poultry  to  death,  and 
sometimes  gobble  up  chicks  and  young  ducks,  not  from 
way  carnivorous  propensity,  but  on  account  of  their  ex- 
treme voracitj  •  an  old  rag  would  be  swallowed  in  th« 
same  way. 

The  proper  food  of  the  ostrich  is  tops  of  shrubby 
plants,  with  grain  and  seeds,  though  they  "  bolt "  many 
odd  and  indigestible  substances.  They  are  fond  of 
salt,  like  most  wild  animals,  and  are  often  seen  in  large 
flocks  around  the  salt-pans,  or  "  salines."  many  of  which 
exist  upon  the  desert  plains  of  Africa. 

The  flesh  of  the  young  ostrich  is  very  palatable,  but 
*hat  of  an  old  bird  is  rather  tough  and  rank.  Their 
eggs,  however,  are  esteemed  a  delicacy,  though  some 
think  them  heavy. 

The  voice  of  the  ostrich  under  ordinary  circumstances 
is  a  deep  sonorous  chuckle,  though  at  times  it  gives  out 
a  roar  resembling  that  of  the  lion.  When  wounded  or 
brought  to  bay,  it  hisses  like  an  enraged  gander. 

So  much  for  the  ostrich ;  and  now  Hans  proceeded, 
as  he  had  promised,  to  say  a  word  or  two  about  its 
relatives. 

The  "rhea"  is  its  South  American  representative, 
but  it  has  been  lately  disco\ered  that  there  are  two 
distinct  species  in  South  America,  the  "nandu,"  (Rhea 
Americana,)  and  the  "  petise,"  or  Darwin's  rhea,  (Rhea 
Daneinii.)  They  resemble  each  other  in  form,  color, 
and  general  habits,  but  differ  in  size  and  geographical 
range.  The  nandu  is  the  larger,  and  dwells  upon  the 
wide  plains  of  La  Plata,  whereas  the  petise  is  confined 
to  the  southern  part  of  Patagonia. 


8&  THE    WINGLESS    BInDS. 

The  nandu  resembles  the  African  bird  in  form,  and 
its  dingy  brown  color  is  not  far  from  that  of  the  lion 
ostrich.  Its  size,  however,  is  much  less,  being  only  fivo 
feet  in  height.  The  plumes  of  its  wings  are  less  beauti- 
ful and  valuable  than  those  of  its  African  cousin,  though 
they  are  also  a  marketable  article,  being  used  for  ))y 
brushes  and  other  household  implements. 

The  habits  of  the  rhea  show  a  great  similarity  to 
those  of  the  Strut/tio,  and  it  is  quite  a  folly  to  make 
separate  genera  of  them. 

The  rhea  is  gregarious,  polygamous,  scoops  a  slovenly 
nest  in  the  ground,  hatches  from  twenty  to  thirty  eggs, 
scatters  many  others  around,  runs  swiftly  when  pursued, 
hisses  and  kicks  violently  when  assailed,  and  is  shy  and 
wary.  All  these  are  habits  of  the  ostrich.  The  rhea, 
however,  has  some  peculiarities.  It  feeds  upon  small 
fish  cast  up  on  the  mud  banks  of  rivers,  and  on  roots 
and  grass.  It  also  takes  freely  to  the  water,  and  can 
cross  rapid  streams  by  swimming.  The  gauchos  hunt 
it  with  both  lazo  and  bolas. 

Darwin's  rhea  is  less  in  size,  but  very  similar  in 
color,  form,  and  habits.  It  also  swims  well,  and  fre- 
quents plains  near  the  coast.  It  is  beyond  doubt  a  very 
tlosely  allied  species  to  Rhea  Americana,  but  a  bird  of 
a  colder  habitat. 

The  nandu  is  not  found  in  North  America,  nor  any 
species  of  bird  allied  to  the  ostrich.  In  this  respect 
Nature  has  neglected  the  vast  desert  plains  of  prairie- 
land. 

Even  in  South  America  the  range  of  the  rhea  ia 
limited,  and  does  not  extend  to  the  equator,  though  it 
comes  much  farther  within  the  tropics  than  is  generally 


THE    WINGLESS    BIRDS.  81 

imagined.  It  has  lately  been  seen  on  the  savannahs  of 
the  Madeira  Rivor,  far  to  the  noith  of  the  La  Plata 
plains. 

Another  cousin  of  the  ostrich  is  the  "  emeu,"  (Dro- 
manis  Nova  Ifollandice.)  I  give  the  clumsy  title  of 
the  closet-naturalists,  though  there  is  no  reason  in  the 
•world  why  this  bird  should  be  separated  from  the  genus 
of  either  ostrich  or  rhea,  except  to  confuse  the  student 
of  natural  history. 

In  form  and  habits  it  resembles  both,  and  in  color  it 
is  quite  like  the  rhea.  It  is,  however,  a  much  taller 
bird — standing  seven  feet — and  a  full-grown  male  ap- 
proaches the  standard  of  a  hen  ostrich. 

It  has  all  the  characteristics  of  the  ostrich — is  gre- 
garious, polygamous,  nestles  on  the  ground,  shy,  wary, 
runs  swiftly,  swims  well,  kicks  so  as  to  kill  a  dog  or 
break  the  leg  of  a  man,  utters  an  odd  drumming  note, 
and  lays  eggs  nearly  as  large  as  those  of  the  ostrich,  but 
of  deep  green  color.  The  eggs  of  the  rhea  are  of  a 
bluish  cast. 

It  is  supposed  that,  like  the  rhea,  there  are  two  spe- 
cies of  emeu — another  and  smaller  one  having  been 
reported  as  existing  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  great 
island  of  Australia. 

In  the  peninsula  of  Malacca  and  the  islands  of  thfl 
Asiatic  Archipelago,  the  ostrich  has  a  representative 
that  differs  from  it  more  than  either  rhea  or  emeu. 
This  is  the  cassowary,  (  Cassnarius  cassoar.)  Its  body 
is  covered  with  a  thick  coat  of  feathers  of  a  deep  black 
color,  and  so  disposed  as  to  present  a  hairy  appearance, 
while  its  head  and  neck  are  naked,  the  skin  of  these 
4* 


82  THE    WINGLESS   BIRDS. 

parts  being  of  the  loveliest  blue-purple  and  ecarle* 
blended  together. 

The  cassowary  differs  from  the  ostriches  in  manj 
respects.  It  is  not  a  bird  of  the  desert,  but  dwells  to 
fertile  districts  and  feeds  upon  soft  succulent  herbage. 
It  resembles  the  ostriches,  however,  in  most  of  its 
habits.  Like  them  it  defends  itself  by  kicking,  deposits 
its  eggs  on  the  ground,  and  leaves  them  to  be  hatched 
by  the  sun ;  is  bold  when  assailed,  is  fleet  and  strong, 
and  altogether  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  the  tribe,  or  of  birds  in  general. 

Hans  mentioned  the  "  apteryx,"  or  kiwi-kiwi,  only  to 
say  that  there  were  two  species  of  it  very  much  alike, 
both  natives  of  New  Zealand,  both  nocturnal  and  bur- 
rowing in  their  habits ;  and  Hans  added  that  he  did  not 
regard  them  as  belonging  to  the  ostrich  family  at  all, 
any  more  than  the  "  auks  "  or  "  penguins."  Thus  ended 
the  talk  about  the  wingless  birds. 


TTTSE    FENNF.C    AND    THE    OSTRICH    KGG8. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  FENNEC  AND  THE  OSTRICH  EGGS. 

liEFORE  retiring  to  rest,  the  young  yagers  had  re« 
solved  upon  a  pleasant  performance  for  the  morrow — 
that  was,  a  "surround"  of  the  ostriches.  They  had 
planned  it  that  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  should  go 
first,  and  ride  a  large  circuit  around,  so  as  to  get  far 
beyond  the  nest  Arend  and  Hans  would  start  shortly 
after  taking  different  side?,  while  Klaas  and  Jan  should 
cover  the  direction  towards  the  camp.  In  this  way  the 
six,  widely  separated  from  each  other,  would  enclose 
the  birds  in  a  circle ;  and  when  the  latter  became 
alarmed  and  started  to  run,  they  were  to  be  "  headed  " 
by  wlwever  was  nearest,  and  turned  back  to  the  oppo- 
site side.  This  is  the  mode  practised  by  the  South 
African  hunters,  and  is  the  only  way  by  which  the 
ostrich  can  be  tired  out  and  run  down,  for  on  such  occa 
sums,  if  the  "surround"  be  well  managed,  the  bird 
becomes  confused,  runs  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and 
at  length  suffers  itself  to  be  captured  or  shot.  It  is  a 
dangeious  matter,  however,  to  approach  too  near  the 
game  even  when  "blown"  or  wounded.  A  wounded 
ostrich  has  been  known  to  send  the  hunter  sprawling 
ami  break  a  leg  or  an  arm,  or  a  pair  of  ribs,  by  one 


84     THE  FENNEC  AND  THE  OSTRICH 


fling  of  its  muscular  limb  !  Hans,  in  his  usual  prudent 
way,  had  cautioned  his  companions  to  beware  of  this 
danger. 

They  all  went  to  rest  with  feelings  of  pleasant  antic? 
pation  for  the  morrow.  They  had  high  hopes  ikej 
would  either  kill  or  capture  the  old  cock,  and  pluck  his 
snow-white  plumes  to  add  to  their  "  trophies." 

The  only  drawback  upon  their  plans  appeared  to  be 
their  number.  They  had  doubts  whether  six  could 
surround  the  ostriches,  so  as  to  head  and  turn  them— 
especially  as  :>f  the  six  two  were  little  boys  mounted  on 
email  ponies,  for  the  chargers  ridden  by  Klaas  and  Jan 
were  of  this  character. 

It  was  resolved,  however,  that  Congo  and  Swartboy 
should  help  to  form  the  circle.  They  had  no  horses, 
but  both  were  active  afoot,  and  either  could  run  quite 
as  fast  as  the  ponies.  The  one  armed  with  his  assegais, 
and  the  other  with  his  tiny  bow  and  poisoned  arrows, 
they  would  be  well  worth  a  place  in  the  ring  ;  and  the 
ostriches  would  thus  have  eight,  instead  of  six,  points  in 
the  compass  closed  up  against  them.  Add  to  this,  that 
there  were  the  six  buck-dogs  to  assist  them,  and  it  will 
be  acknowledged  that  their  prospect  of  capturing  the 
ostriches  was  not  so  bad. 

Sad  to  say,  their  hopes  of  a  brilliant  day's>  sport 
ended  in  complete  disappointment.  All  their  fine  plans 
were  frustrated  by  a  singular  occurrence. 

A  hyena  during  the  night  had  stolen  into  camp,  and 
had  eaten  up  the  girth  and  part  of  the  flaps  of  Hendrik's 
saddle  ,  and  before  the  damage  could  be  repaired  the 
o<ti  iches  had  gone  off  from  the  nest. 

They  were  still  around  it  when  the  hunters  arose,  but 


THE    FENNEC    AND    THE    OSTRICH    EGGS.  85 

the  delay  in  mending  the  saddle  was  fatal  to  the  plan  of 
a  "  surround."  The  morning  was  a  hot  sultry  one,  and 
the  birds  leaving  their  business  to  the  sun,  went  early 
away.  Just  as  the  boys  were  mounting,  they  saw  them 
move  off  in  long  strides  towards  the  opposite  side  of  the 
plain. 

They  were  soon  out  of  sight  of  the  naked  eye  ;  but 
Hans  followed  them  with  his  glass,  until  that  also  failed 
to  keep  them  in  view. 

It  was  a  great  disappointment  to  everybody,  just  tas 
it  would  be  to  a  field  of  fox-hunters,  Tvho,  after  getting 
into  the  saddle,  had  found  themselves  driven  back  to 
their  stables  by  frost  and  snow.  Hendrik  was  particu- 
larly out  of  temper,  on  account  of  the  ill  luck  that  had 
befallen  his  saddle  ;  and  if  a  hyena  had  shown  itself  at 
that  moment,  it  would  have  stood  a  fair  chance  of  get- 
ting a  bullet  into  its  body.  All  the  others,  though  in  a 
less  degree,  shared  Hendrik's  uncomfortable  reflections. 

All  six  sat  chafing  in  their  saddles,  not  knowing  what 
to  do. 

"  Let  us  ride  out  to  the  nest,"  proposed  Arend.  "At 
all  events,  the  eggs  have  not  '  stole  away.'  We'll  get 
them,  and,  by  the  way,  I  shouldn't  object  to  an  omelette 
for  breakfast,"  (they  had  not  yet  breakfasted :)  "  I'm 
tired  enough  of  venison  and  dry  biltong.  What  say 
you?" 

u  By  all  means,"  rejoined  Groot  Willem ;  "  Itt  uo 
bring  in  the  eggs,  and  breakfast  on  them — that  is,  if 
they're  not  too  far  gone.  I  should  like  an  egg  for 
breakfast  myself.  Come  on  then  !  " 

"Stop!"  cried  Hans;  "stop  a  moment,  yagers' 
Perhaps  we'll  not  be  disappointed — we  may  have  a 
chase  yet." 


56     THE  FKNNEC  AND  THE  OSTRICH  EGGS. 

Hans  had  the  glass  to  his  eye  as  he  spoke. 

"  What !  "  inquired  several :  "  are  they  coming  back  ?  * 

Hans  made  no  reply  for  a  moment.  He  could  not 
be  looking  after  the  ostriches.  His  telescope  was 
pointed  in  the  direction  of  the  nest.  The  birls  were 
not  there ! 

"It  id  it ! — it  is  !  the  very  creature  itself!  "  exclaimed 
Hans,  in  a  half-soliloquy. 

"  What  it  ?  what  creature  ?  "  demanded  the  boys. 

"The  fox  !  "  replied  Hans. 

«  What  fox ! " 

"  Why,  the  fennec — the  same  I  saw  last  night — yon- 
der it  is,  though  you  can't  see  it  with  the  naked  eye.  I 
can  barely  make  it  out  with  the  glass.  It  is  up  close  by 
the  nest  of  the  ostriches,  and  appears  busy  about  some- 
thing." 

"  The  eggs,  I  warrant,"  suggested  Groot  Willem. 

"  A  fox-chase !  a  fox-chase ! "  exclaimed  Hendrik, 
partially  recovering  temper. 

"  A  fox-chase  !  "  echoed  Klaas  and  Jan. 

"  A  fox-chase  be  it  then,"  assented  Hans  ;  and  all  six 
set  their  horses  in  motion,  whistling  to  the  buck-dogs  to 
follow. 

They  headed  directly  for  the  ostriches'  nest.  They 
were  not  going  to  make  a  circuit  for  such  an  insignifi- 
cant creature  as  the  little  fennec.  They  knew  that  it 
could  only  escape  them  by  getting  to  a  hole,  as  they  had 
logs  that  could  trail  and  run  it  down  go  where  it  would. 
It  was  probable  that  its  burrow  was  not  very  near.  It 
had  evidently  strayed  away  from  home,  and  "  dogged  n 
the  ostriches  to  their  nest,  so  as  to  get  at  their  eggs. 
Swartboy  alleged  that  such  was  its  habit — that  it  waa 


TUB   FEKNEC    AND    THE    OSTRICH   EGGS.  87 

fonder  of  eggs  than  any  other  food — and  that  the  eggs 
of  the  great  bird  were  its  particular  favorites.  That 
it  was  constantly  roving  about  in  search  of  ostrich-nests  ; 
and  as  these  are  very  difficult,  even  for  a  fox  to  find,  the 
fennec,  when  it  suspects  that  the  ostriches  are  laying, 
will  follow  them  for  miles  to  discover  the  nest — -just  as 
Hans  had  seen  this  one  do. 

Swartboy  had  given  all  this  information  on  the  pre- 
ceding night,  which,  of  course,  explained  the  mystery 
of  such  a  small  creature  running  upon  the  trail  of  the 
great  ostriches.  It  was  not  them,  but  their  eggs,  it 
wanted. 

Now  there  was  still  a  mystery  Swartboy  had  not  ex- 
plained ;  and  that  was,  how  this  animal,  when  it  found 
the  eggs,  was  able  to  get  at  their  contents  ?  The  shell 
of  the  ostrich-egg  is  thick  and  strong.  It  requires  a 
considerable  blow  with  some  hard  weapon  to  break  it, 
and  how  a  puny  creature,  like  the  little  fennec,  could 
effect  a  breach  was  a  mystery  to  all,  but  especially  to 
the  naturalist  Hans.  The  fennec  was  no  stranger  to 
him.  He  had  seen  many  of  them  in  captivity.  He 
knew  something  of  their  anatomy.  He  knew  that  their 
skulls  were  destitute  of  the  ridge  in  which  the  temporal 
muscles  are  inserted,  and  that  consequently  they  were 
weak-jawed  animals — much  more  so  than  the  common 
fox.  It  was  not  possible  for  them  to  have  broken  the 
§hell  of  an  ostrich-egg  with  their  jaws.  He  knew  that 
it  was  equally  impossible  for  them  to  effect  that  purpose 
with  the  claws  of  their  feet — the  soles  of  which  are 
covered  with  soft  wool,  as  in  the  Arctic  fox — a  peculiar- 
ity considering  that  the  fennec  is  an  inhabitant  of 
the  hottest  climes,  and  one  quite  unexplained  by  natu- 
ralists ! 


88     THE  FENNEC  AND  THE  OSTRICH  EGGS. 

From  the  strength  and  structure  of  the  animal,  Hans 
believed  it  could  no  more  have  got  at  the  contents  of  an 
ostrich-egg  than  it  could  have  eaten  its  way  into  the 
heart  of  a  bomb-shell. 

Swartboy  was  here  at  fault.  He  only  knew  that  it 
did  get  at  the  contents,  white  and  yolk ;  but  how  he  ha«J 
never  observed.  He  could  not  tell.  He  could  not  solve 
the  mystery. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait  in  doubt  about  this  matter 
In  less  than  ten  minutes  after,  the  fennec  himself  pre- 
sented the  solution  before  the  astonished  eyes  of  the 
young  yagers. 

When  they  had  ridden  up  within  some  three  hundred 
yards  of  the  nest  the  little  animal  came  under  the  view 
of  all,  and  they  pulled  up  to  watch  his  manoeuvres.  He 
was  so  busy  about  his  own  affairs,  that  he  had  not  per- 
ceived their  approach.  The  ground  was  covered  with 
soft  sand,  so  that  the  hoofs  made  no  noise,  and  with  all 
his  keen  sense  of  hearing — for  he  possesses  that  in  pro- 
portion to  his  large  ears — he  had  not  caught  a  sound. 
He  was  hard  at  work,  and  never  looked  towards  them. 
In  fact,  he  was  seen  to  raise  his  head  at  intervals,  and 
look  towards  the  point  whither  the  ostriches  had  gone, 
and  all  his  gazing  was  in  that  direction.  The  party  had, 
therefore,  a  good  view  of  the  animal  without  being  ob- 
served by  him ;  and  they  watched  lu's  manosuvres  witb 
interest. 

Swartboy  and  the  Kaflir  held  the  dogs  in  their  leashea, 
and  all  remained  silent  as  statues. 

Now  what  was  the  little  fennec  doing  ? 

At  first  the  spectators  were  puzzled  to  make  out,  but 
presently  all  was  explained. 


THE  FENNEC  AND  THE  OSTRICH  EGGS.     89 

When  they  first  saw  him  he  was  at  a  distance  of  se  r- 
eral  yards  from  the  nest,  and  going  farther  Irora  it,  on 
the  opposite  side  to  that  where  the  hunters  had  halted 
His  tail  was  towards  them,  and  the  fore-part  of  his  body 
appeared  to  be  raised  as  if  his  paws  rested  upon  some- 
thing. This  something  was  seen  to  be  an  ostrich's  egg. 
He  was  pushing  it  before  him  along  the  ground,  using 
his  feet  alternately,  and  forcing  the  egg  to  turn.  Thia 
action  was  similar  to  that  of  some  unfortunate  fellow  on 
the  tread-mill,  except  that  it  was  voluntary  on  the  part 
of  the  fennec. 

Now  why  was  he  rolling  the  egg?  Did  he  mean 
to  transport  it  in  that  way  to  his  burrow  ?  It  would 
have  been  an  arduous  task,  as  it  was  not  likely  his  subter- 
ranean dwelling  was  anywhere  in  that  neighborhood. 

But  he  had  no  such  design.  His  intention  was  to  eat 
his  breakfast  on  that  very  spot,  or  at  all  events  very 
near  it ;  and  the  spectators  soon  saw  where  his  table  was 
to  be  spread,  for  some  of  them  now  remembered  an  odd 
btory  they  had  heard  of  the  caama,  and  already  sus- 
pected his  design. 

About  three  or  four  yards  from  his  snout  lay  a  stone. 
It  was  a  boulder  of  small  dimensions,  some  twelve 
inches  in  height,  but  quite  large  enough  for  the  fennec'* 
purpose.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  a  purpose  with 
this  stone,  for  he  wa$  rolling  the  egg  directly  towards 
it 

Those  who  had  guessed  his  design  were  not  disap- 
pointed. When  his  snout  was  within  about  three  feet 
of  the  stone,  the  fennec  made  a  sudden  ru^h  forward, 
carrying  the  egg  along  by  a  rapid  motion  of  his  feet, 
until  the  hard  shell  came  in  contact  with  the  harder  ro<-L 


90  THE   FENNEC    AND    THE    OSTRICH    EGGS. 

A  "  crash  "  reached  the  ears  of  the  hunters,  and,  look 
ing  attentively,  they  saw  that  the  egg  was  broken  inic 
u  smithereens !  " 

The  breakfast  of  the  fennec  was  now  before  him,  and 
he  at  once  set  about  eating  it,  but  the  hunters  were 
hungry  too,  their  patience  could  hold  out  no  longer,  and 
spurring  their  horses  and  letting  slip  the  dogs,  they 
galloped  forward. 

It  was  a  short  run  for  a  fox  to  give.  The  creature 
had  hardly  made  good  a  couple  of  hundred  yards,  before 
the  buck-dogs  threw  him ;  and  it  was  just  as  much  as 
Swartboy  could  do,  aided  by  his  jambok  of  hippopota- 
mus-hide, to  save  his  beautiful  skin  from  their  jaws. 

The  eggs  were  soon  collected.  Those  in  the  nest 
had  "  gone  too  far,"  as  Groot  Willem  had  feared :  some 
contained  chicks,  and  others  were  addled.  But  of  the 
ones  scattered  about  several  turned  out  quite  fresh,  so 
that  the  hunters  had  omelette  for  breakfast,  as  they  had 
wished. 

Swartboy  showed  them  how  to  cook  the  eggs  to  per- 
fection. This  mode  was  to  set  one  end  in  the  ashes, 
break  a  hole  in  the  other,  and  then  with  a  little  stick 
keep  stirring  the  contents  until  they  were  sufficiently 
broiled.  That  is  an  omelette  of  ostrich-eggs. 


THE    BLAUW-150KS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    BLAUW-BOKS. 

AFTER  all,  the  young  yagers  were  not  to  be  disap- 
pointed in  a  chase.  If  the  fox  of  South  Africa  gives 
but  poor  sport,  there  are  plenty  of  other  animals,  nei- 
ther so  weak-limbed  nor  short-winded  ;  and  one  of  this 
kind  it  was  their  fortune  to  fall  in  with  on  that  same 
day,  and  almost  within  the  hour. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  mokhala  grove  from  that  on 
which  the  ostriches  had  been  observed,  lay  a  wide  open 
plain.  It  was  not  a  desert,  although  it  approached  sc 
near  to  one, — separated  from  it  only  by  a  belt  of  timber. 
It  was  a  prairie  or  natural  meadow,  the  grass — perhaps 
from  contrast  with  the  broad  brown  expanse  on  the 
other  side — having  an  extremely  fresh  green  look. 

It  was  a  large  plain,  though  not  limitless  to  the  view. 
In  the  distance  could  be  seen  a  wood  of  the  giraffe- 
acacia,  or  "  cameel-doorns,"  bounding  the  horizon  ;  and 
several  clumps  of  these  trees,  with  their  umbrella -like 
heads  and  feathery  fronds  of  pale  green,  stood  isolated 
upon  the  plain,  giving  the  scene  altogether  an  interest- 
ing aspect. 

A  very  park  appeared  this  plain,  with  wide  open  pas- 
tures between  its  groves  and  coppices,  many  of  which 


U2  THE    BLAUW-UOK8. 

were  of  such  regular  forms  that  one  would  havt  fai  eied 
they  had  been  planted  to  adorn  it. 

So  lordly  a  park,  such  rich  pastures,  could  not  be  un 
tenanted  ;  nor  were  they.  There  was  no  mansion,  nc. 
house,  not  a  trace  of  a  human  being  to  be  seen,  but  foi 
all  thai  the  plain  had  its  denizens.  Many  forms  cuuli] 
be  distinguished  upon  or  around  it,  bo;h  of  winged  and 
wingless  creatures.  Birds  and  quadrupeds  of  rare  and 
beautiful  kinds  made  this  fair  scene  their  home. 

Over  its  greensward  stalks  the  "  secretory,"  the  true 
serpent-eater,  hunting  among  the  grass  for  his  glittering 
prey.  Even  without  using  his  wings,  he  need  not  fear 
any  of  the  crouching  carnivora,  as  his  long  legs  suffice 
to  carry  him  far  beyond  reach  of  either  hyena,  jackal, 
wild  dog,  guepard,  or  leopard.  Swift  is  be,  almost  as 
the  great  ostrich  itself, — so  swift  as  to  have  earned  from 
the  Arabs  the  singular  sobriquet  of  the  "  Devil's 
horse." 

Not  far  off  another  tall  bird  stands  erect  upon  the 
plain,  but  of  very  different  character  and  habits.  This 
is  the  "  pauw  "  or  "  wild  peacock," — a  peacock  only 
in  the  phraseology  of  the  boors,  for  the  bird  is  a  bus- 
tard, and  the  largest  of  his  tribe — the  Otis  kori. 

Running  from  copse  to  copse,  or  feeding  over  the 
plain,  may  be  seen  flocks  of  the  pearly  guinea-fowl, 
(Numida  meleagris,)  whose  constant  chattering  grates 
harshly  on  the  car  resembling  the  metallic  clanking  of 
machinery,  or  the  sharpening  of  a  hundred  saws. 

From  tree  to  tree  flutter  gaudy  parrots,  green 
pigeons,  and  soft  cooing  doves,  and  over  flowery  shrubs 
flit  numerous  species  of  tiny  "  honey-suckers," — the 
African  representatives  of  the  humming-birds.  Som« 


1HE    BLAUW-BOKS.  9S 

trees  carry  the  pensile  nests  of  the  weaver-bird,  (Pto* 
ecus,)  hanging  from  their  branches  like  large  fruits, 
while  many  of  the  cameel-doorns  are  loaded  with  the 
vast  thatch-like  republican  dwellings  of  the  sociable 
grosbeak,  (Loxia  soda.) 

But  birds  are  not  the  only  tenants  of  this  fair  scene. 
Quadrupeds,  as  bright  and  beautiful  as  they,  haunt  its 
verdant  glades,  or  repose  under  the  grateful  shadow  of 
its  acacia-greves. 

Tn  a  few  hours'  ride  one  might  see  graceful  antelopes 
of  many  species.  The  nimble  springbok — the  gazelle 
of  South  Africa — might  be  observed  trooping  over  the 
sward,  or  bounding  high  in  air  either  in  sport  or  alarm 
— the  orange  "  hartebeest,"  and  the  purple  "  sassybe," 
might  be  seen — the  shaggy-maned  eccentric  gnoo,  scour- 
ing the  plain  in  circles — droves  of  quaggas,  or  of  the 
still  more  beautiful  "  zebra  of  the  plains,"  (Equus  Bur- 
chellii.)  Might  be  seen  too,  crouching  around  the 
copses,  the  leopard,  fair  but  fearful  to  look  upon ;  and 
still  more  fearful  to  behold  the  tawny  tyrant  of  the 
scene — the  lion. 

All  these  creatures,  and  many  more  of  equal  interest, 
might  come  under  the  eye  of  the  traveller  or  hunter 
during  a  single  day's  ride  through  that  wild  domain. 

Thus  full  of  life,  what  a  contrast  did  this  beautiful 
meadow  present  to  the  monotonous  waste  of  wilderness, 
that  stretched  away  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  grove 
to  the  far  horizon ! 

Baulked  in  their  projected  "surround"  of  the 
ostriches — disappointed  by  the  "  poor  sport  "  which  the 
fox  had  afforded,  the  hunter  boys  were  determined  not 
to  be  "choused"  out  of  a  chase.  Some  sort  of  one 


94  THE    BLAUW-BOKS. 

they  would  have,  if  it  were  only  a  brush  after  spring- 
boks, for  these,  they  knew,  they  could  find  at  any  time. 
They  were  aware  of  the  existence  of  the  fine  plain — 'he 
edge  of  which  came  up  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of 
their  camp.  They  had  pastured  their  cattle  theie  on 
the  evening  before  ;  and  conjectured  that  it  must  be  the 
haunt  of  many  kinds  of  game.  For  this  reason  they 
now  resolved  upon  making  an  excursion  to  that  quarter, 
to  hunt  whatever  might  turn  up. 

They  came  to  this  determination,  only  after  their 
return  from  the  ostriches'  nest ;  but  as  they  had  made 
up  their  minds  to  it  before  eating  breakfast,  they  di<* 
not  off-saddle,  but  kept  their  horses  ready  for  being 
mounted. 

As  soon  as  the  meal  was  over,  they  took  once  more 
to  their  saddles  and  rode  off,  the  buck-dogs  following  at 
the  heels  of  their  horses.  Congo  and  Swartboy  stayed 
by  the  camp. 

They  had  not  far  to  go,  before  coming  in  view  of 
their  game ;  and  rare  game  that  was. 

They  were  scarce  yet  a  hundred  paces  from  the 
camp,  and  just  about  to  ride  out  from  the  timber,  when 
Hendrik,  in  the  advance,  suddenly  reined  up  his  horse, 
making  a  sign  for  the  others  to  do  the  same.  All  pulled 
up  in  a  breath,  and  sat  in  their  saddles,  gazing  out 
through  the  leaves.  Though  still  within  the  shadow  of 
the  grove,  all  had  a  good  view  of  the  open  plain  ?  and 
before  them  was  a  sight  that  would  have  warmed  the 
hearts  of  older  hunters  than  they. 

Out  upon  the  plain,  and  directly  in  front  of  them,  was 
a  herd  of  noble  antelopes.  They  were  neither  gnoos, 
uor  springboks,  nor  hartebeests,  nor  any  of  the  coinmop 


THE    BLAUW-BOKS.  95 

kinds  that  the  party  had  already  met  with,  and  had 
hunted  to  their  satisfaction.  Indeed,  they  were  of  a 
species  that  none  of  the  six  had  ever  seen  before,  and 
they  only  knew  them  to  be  antelopes  from  the  make  of 
their  bodies,  the  shape  of  their  horns,  and  other  points 
characteristic  of  these  animals. 

They  were  antelopes  of  large  size,  standing  nearly 
four  feet  high,  having  sabre-shaped  horns  curving  gen- 
tly backward  and  ringed  to  within  six  inches  of  theii 
(ips.  Their  general  color  was  ashy  gray,  tinged  with 
raven-blue — the  blue  tint  being  caused  by  the  deep 
black  color  of  the  skin  shining  through  the  hair. 

Although  none  of  the  party  had  ever  seen  such  ante- 
lope?  before,  Hans,  and  also  the  hunters  Hendrik  and 
Groot  Willem,  guessed  what  kind  they  were.  They  were 
of  a  kind  that  once  ranged  the  Graaf  Reinet,  and  even 
as  far  south  as  the  Cape  itself,  though  there  they  were 
never  common.  That  was  long  before  any  of  the  young 
yagers  had  ever  lired  a  gun  or  mounted  a  horse,  but  as 
these  remembered  having  heard  their  fathers  talking  of 
this  animal — of  its  blue  color,  of  its  long  curving  horns, 
of  its  fine  outline  of  form,  as  well  as  bold  fierce  character 
— they  recognized  those  before  them  by  the  descriptions 
they  had  heard.  They  could  be  no  other  than  blue- 
bucks,  or  blauw-boks  in  the  language  of  the  boors. 

Hans,  after  eyeing  them  a  moment,  gave  this  as  hij 
opinion.  The  species  was  the  blauw-bok,  the  Aigocerw 
leucophea  of  modern  systematise. 

Now  of  the  group  of  antelopes  to  which  the  general 
name  Aigocerus  has  been  given  there  are  five  species- 
all  large  noble  animals,  and  all  inhabitants  of  South 
Africa,  and  particularly  the  countries  adjacent  to  the 
Orange  River. 


96  TIIE    BLAUW-BOKS. 

First,  theie  is  the  "  water-buck,"  (Aig,jcenis  eUipgi- 
prymnus,}  whioh  stands  nearly  four  feet  in  height,  is  of 
bluish  gray  color,  frequents  the  banks  of  rivers,  takes 
the  water  freely — whence  its  trivial  name — swims  well, 
is  bold,  fierce,  strong,  and  dangerous,  when  bayed  or 
wounded. 

Secondly,  there  is  the  "  takhaitze,"  (Aigocerus  barba- 
tus,)  nearly  as  large  as  the  water-buck,  but  distinguished 
by  a  long  beard  and  mane.  The  character  of  the  water- 
buck  for  fierceness  and  daring  also  belongs  to  the  tak- 
haitze, and  both  are  swift  runners.  The  latter,  how- 
ever, is  less  attached  to  the  water,  and  frequents  a  hilly 
region,  browsing  goat-like  upon  the  leaves  of  the  acacia. 

The  third  of  this  genus  is  the  "  roan  antelope,"  (Ai- 
gocerus  equinus,)  a  strong  fierce  animal,  with  horns 
curving  backwards  as  in  the  blue-buck,  but  thicker,  and 
more  rapid  in  the  curve.  It  is  an  antelope  not  of  the 
plains,  but  a  dweller  in  the  hilly  region. 

The  "  sable  antelope  "  (Aigocerus  niger)  is  by  far  the 
most  beautiful  animal  of  the  group.  It  is  not  many 
years  since  this  antelope  was  made  known  to  science, 
having  been  discovered  in  South  Africa  by  a  keen  Brit- 
ish sportsman.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  race,  stand- 
ing four  feet  six  inches  in  height,  and  carrying  a  pair  of 
scimetar-shaped  horns  over  three  feet  in  length.  Its 
color  is  a  deep  glossy  black  or  sable — whence  its  specific 
appellation — though  it  is  white  underneath  with  white 
markings  about  the  head  and  neck.  None  of  the  ante- 
lopes of  this  group  are  of  common  occurrence  even  ip 
their  native  haunts.  None  of  the  species  can  be  called 
gregarious — that  is,  they  do  not  appear  in  large  herds, 
like  the  springboks,  gnooi,  harte-beeste,  or  bonteboks— 


THE   BLAUW-BOKS.  97 

though  small  troops  of  less  than  a  dozen — families,  in  fact 
— may  be  seen  together.  Oftener  they  are  met  with  in 
pairs,  or  single  individuals,  and  they  are  all  scarce  in  the 
regions  they  inhabit  when  compared  with  the  vast  herds 
of  the  more  social  kinds. 

The  blue-buck  is  now  one  of  the  very  rarest  of  the 
group,  so  much  so  that  some  naturalists  believe  it  to  be 
extinct.  That  is  not  likely.  Africa  is  a  large  country- 

Now  all  this  information  was  furnished  by  philosopher 
Hans.  He  did  not  offer  it  just  then — that  is  when  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  herd  of  blue-bucks ;  though  he 
would,  likely  enough,  had  the  others  been  inclined  to 
listen  to  him. 

But  they  were  not.  The  hunters  Hendrik  and  Groot 
Willem  were  gazing  with  eyes  wide  open,  admiring  the 
beautiful  proportions  )f  the  blauw-boks,  which  promised 
them  a  glorious  run. 


98  A  BRUSl'    AFTER    THE    BLUE-BUCKS. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A    BRUSH    AFTER    THE    BLUIXBUCKS 

As  already  stated,  there  were  seven  antelopes  in  :li« 
herd.  One,  an  old  buck,  larger  than  any  of  the  rest, 
and  having  horns  over  three  feet  long,  was  in  the  ad- 
vance acting  as  leader.  When  first  observed,  they  were 
approaching  the  grove  of  moklialas — perhaps  to  reach 
the  water  by  the  spring.  So  thought  the  yiigers,  and 
held  a  hurried  consultation  about  it,  as  they  watched  the 
advance  of  the  animals.  Hurried  it  was,  and  abruptly 
terminated,  for  before  they  could  come  to  any  definite 
plan  of  action,  one  of  the  buck-dogs,  a  young  and  half- 
trained  animal,  sprang  forward  out  of  cover,  and  opened 
his  bay  right  in  the  faces  of  the  antelopes. 

The  whole  seven  wheeled  round  in  their  tracks,  and 
obedient  to  a  snorting  signal  of  the  leader,  started  back 
in  the  direction  they  had  come,  going  at  top  speed. 

Of  course  all  idea  of  stratagem  was  ioiJe^  by  the  un- 
expected behavior  of  the  dog.  A  straight  tail-on-c-nd 
cliase  was  the  only  course  left  the  hunters  to  follow  ; 
and,  plying  the  spur,  all  the  six  shot  out  of  the  timber, 
and  rode  "  view  halloo  "  over  the  open  plain. 

A  splendid  chase  it  was  for  several  minute? — the 
lever,  blue-bucks  in  advance,  the  dogs  in  the  middle, 


A    URUSII    AFVER   THE    BLUE-BUCKS.  99 

and   the  "  field  "  following  in  the  rear.      A  splendid 
chase,  indeed ! 

But  only  for  a  few  minutes  did  dogs,  hunters,  and 
game,  maintain  these  relative  positions.  The  horsemen 
spread  first.  The  ponies  of  Klass  and  Jan  fell  to  the 
rear,  and  were  soon  distanced.  Then  lagged  the  phil- 
osopher Hans,  whose  cob,  though  steady  under  fire,  and 
a  good  roadster,  was  no  hunter ;  and,  next,  the  hand- 
some Arend, — who  might  have  taken  a  better  place,  for 
his  steed  was  a  good  one.  But  Arend  cared  but  little 
for  hunting,  and  less  for  hard  riding  under  a  hot  sun  ; 
and  having  permitted  himself  to  get  so  far  behind  that 
the  view  of  the  chase  was  no  longer  interesting,  he 
reined  up  under  the  shade  of  a  cameel-doorn,  and  com- 
menced fanning  himself  with  the  gauntlet  of  his  military 
glove ! 

There  were  two,  however,  who  still  rode  to  the  dogs 
with  the  keen  ardor  of  sportsmen — Hendrik  and  Groot 
Willem  ;  and  from  a  feeling  of  rivalry,  as  already  hinted 
at,  each  was  determined  to  be  in  at  the  death. 

Both  were  well  mounted,  though  very  dissimilarly. 
The  horse  that  Hendrik  rode  was  a  beautiful  coal-black, 
of  medium  size,  with  a  dash  of  the  Arab  in  him — just 
enough  to  make  of  him  what  is  termed  a  "  hunter," — a 
breed  the  finest  in  the  world,  and  for  all  purposes,  ex- 
cept race-course  gambling,  finer  even  than  the  Arabian 
itself. 

Groot  Willem's  horse  differed  widely  from  this  kind 
and  the  same  description  that  has  been  given  of  GrooV 
Willem,   or  one   very   similar,  would   answer  for   hi* 
eteed. 

In  size,  he  bore  the  same  proportion  lo  Hendrik'd 


100  A    BRDSH    AFTKR    THE    BLUE-BUCKS. 

hunter  that  his  rider  bore  to  Hendrik — that  ic,  he  vis  * 
full  half  bigger ;  but  his  own  members  were  out  of  all 
proportion  with  each  other. 

His  body  was  flat  and  gaunt,  and  his  limbs  long  and 
bony.  His  neck  also  was  of  an  immense  length,  with- 
out the  slightest  semblance  of  a  curve  ;  and  his  head 
was  angular  and  "  bumpy,"  like  that  of  a  giraffe.  He 
had  other  points  of  similarity  to  this  singular  quadruped, 
in  his  rough  awkward  gait,  and  long-stumped  thin- 
haired  tail ;  and  the  young  yagers,  in  view  of  these 
resemblances,  had  jocosely  christened  him  "  Groot- 
Kanieel,"  (Great  Camel.)  He  was  about  as  ugly  ? 
horse  as  could  have  been  found  in  all  the  land  of  the 
boors ;  and  yet  his  owner,  Groot  Willem,  would  not 
have  exchanged  him  for  the  handsomest  horse  in 
Africa. 

Notwithstanding  his  ugliness,  he  was  a  good  horse. 
In  jockey  phrase,  "  a  bad  'un  to  look  at,  a  good  'un  to 
go."  Groot  Willem  was  no  man  for  appearances.  He 
liked  performance  better  than  promise  ;  and  the  "  Great 
Camel "  was  the  type  of  that  idea — he  promised  noth- 
ing, but  performed  amazingly.  Many  a  quagga,  and 
wildebeest  and  sassybe,  had  he  ridden  down ;  many  a 
stanch  buck-dog  had  he  tired  out  and  passed  in  the 
chase  with  the  heavy  weight  of  Groot  Willem  on  hid 
back.  No  wonder  the  latter  felt  a  high  regard  for  his 
nell-trained  hunting  horse. 

Hendrik  had  an  equal  affection  for  his  beautiful  black  \ 
and  as  no  opportunity  had  yet  offered  of  a  fair  trial  be- 
tween the  two  steeds,  a  good  deal  of  talk  had  passed 
about  their  respective  merits  as  regarded  speed  and 
*  bottom."  On  the  question  of  beauty  nothing  could  be 


A    BUUSH    AFTER   THE   BLUE-BUCKS.  101 

•aid.  Hendrik.  had  the  advantage  there ;  and  even 
Groot  Willem  acknowledged  it,  at  the  same  time  that 
he  sneered  at  that  being  considered  a  "  merit "  in  a 
horse. 

The  chase  of  the  blauw-boks  seemed  to  offer  the 
chance  of  a  fair  trial.  The  animals  had  taken  across 
the  open  plain,  which  would  lead  the  hunters  several 
miles  at  least,  as  the  game  was  not  one  to  be  run  down  in 
a  hurry.  In  i\  ride  like  that  before  them,  it  would  be 
«een  which  backed  the  best  steed. 

Both  riders  were  determined  to  make  the  most  ot 
th«ir  horses.  Both  were  wary  hunters,  and,  instead  of 
dashing  forward  at  break-neck  speed,  it  could  be  seen 
that  each  was  "  going  cunning,"  and  saving  their  steeds 
for  the  final  burst.  Hendrik  felt  that  in  speed  for  a 
mile  or  two  he  could  have  headed  the  "  Camel "  easily 
enough.  But  the  bucks  had  got  a  good  start,  and  it 
was  not  likely  he  could  overtake  them  within  that  dis- 
tance. He  held  up,  therefore,  riding  gently,  lest  in  the 
end  the  great  horse  of  his  rival  might  come  out  too 
strong  for  him. 

For  some  distance  the  two  galloped  "  cheek  by  jowl," 
the  dogs  far  in  the  advance,  and  the  bucks  still  running 
together  before  them.  The  latter  did  not  seek  to 
escape  into  the  bushes,  though  they  passed  near  several 
large  copses.  They  kept  in  the  open  plain,  in  a  course 
nearly  direct.  Stag-like  they  were  running  for  some 
water — as  antelopes  of  the  aigocerine  group  habitually 
do. 

But  the  dogs  did  not  husband  their  speed,  some  of 
them  were  young  and  foolish,  although  very  swift ;  and 
before  the  bucks  had  passed  ever  a  mile  of  ground, 


102  A    BRUSH    AFTER    THE    BLUE-BUCKS. 

two  or  three  of  their  canine  pursuers  pushed  them  84 
closely  that  the,  herd  broke,  and  the  antelopes,  in  theii 
terror,  forsook  each  olher,  and  ran  wildly  in  various 
directions. 

The  character  of  the  hunt  was  now  quite  altered. 
The  pack  split  up  just  as  the  game  had  done,  each  dog 
following  the  antelope  that  seemed  nearest  him,  and 
in  a  few  moments  the  chase  was  scattered  all  over  the 
plain. 

The  two  hunters  had  now  a  choice,  whether  each 
should  pursue  a  separate  game,  or  both  take  after  the 
same.  But  neither  thought  for  a  moment  of  separating 
from  the  other,  except  by  heading  him.  The  spirit  of 
rivalry,  though  silent,  was  strongly  felt  by  both.  Even 
the  very  horses  seemed  to  be  actuated  by  a  similar  feel- 
ing, eyeing  each  other  askance,  as  they  gahv.ped  side 
by  side ! 

The  antelope  that  both  were  determined  to  follow 
was  easily  selected  from  the  rest.  The  old  buck  that 
hitherto  led  the  herd  had  now  gone  off  by  himself,  fol- 
lowed by  a  pair  of  the  stanchest  dogs.  His  horns 
were  the  meteors  that  gleamed  hi  the  eyes  of  our 
hunters,  and  beckoned  them  on. 

Without  exchanging  a  word  with  each  other,  l»oth  rwii 
after  the  VicL 


WEM.EM    GETS    A    TUMBLE.  108 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

GROOT    WILLEM    GETS    A    TUMBLE. 

TUB  chase  wai  now  one  of  exceeding  interest,  and 
had  become  a  simple  trial  of  speed  between  horses, 
dogs,  and  antelope.  The  buck  had  kept  on  m  a  direct 
line,  when  the  others  broke  away  from  him.  He  had 
been  foremost  at  the  time,  and  had  no  need  to  turn  out 
of  his  course.  Besides  he  knew  where  he  was  running 
to.  Terror  had  driven  the  others  out  of  their  senses, 
and  they  had  fled  without  design,  while  the  old  buck,  not 
losing  his  "  presence  of  mind,"  kept  on  for  the  water. 

A  dark  belt  se«n  ahead  was  a  forest  fringing  some 
Btream  or  river.  That  was  the  point  he  was  making 
for,  but  a  wide  plain  must  be  crossed  before  he  could 
wet  his  hoof  in  any  water.  Over  this  plain  now  swept 
the  chase. 

Oddly  enough,  the  two  dogs  that  had  chosen  the 
buck  for  their  game  were  rival  dogs — that  is,  each 
banter  was  owner  of  one  of  them,  and  regarded  him  as 
a  favorite ;  and  all  three  kinds,  dogs,  horses,  and 
riders,  seemed  to  be  on  their  mettle,  and  were  doing 
their  very  best. 

Do  not  fancy  rt  ere  was  any  ill-feeling  between  Groot 
Willem  and  He-^«'V  Nothing  of  the  sort.  Kacfc 


104  GROOT    WILLEM    OET8    A    TUMBLE. 

loved  his  horse  and  his  dog,  and  wished  them  to  extei 
— each  had  his  hunter  reputation  at  stake  in  the  result 
— and  each  had  resolved  upon  carrying  the  head  and 
horns  of  that  blue-buck  in  triumph  to  the  camp  ! 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  there  was  no  "  bad  blood  '• 
between  the  boys.  Nothing  of  the  sort. 

Beautifully  the  buck  ran.  Lightly  he  leaped  ovei 
the  turf,  his  limbs  at  each  spring  stretching  to  an  al- 
most horizontal  line,  with  head  high  in  air  and  horns 
curving  backward  to  his  flanks.  Well  and  beautifully 
he  ran ! 

Sometimes  he  gained  on  his  pursuers,  as  the  nature 
of  the  ground  favored  his  hoofs  ;  but  again  the  strong 
buck-dogs  howled  upon  his  heels,  and  the  hunters 
galloped  but  a  hundred  yards  behind  him.  The  blue 
of  his  back  soon  changed  to  a  deeper  tint,  as  the  sweat 
poured  through  his  sable  skin,  and  the  froth  in  large 
flakes  clouted  his  neck  and  shoulders.  His  red  tongue 
hung  dripping  from  his  jaws,  and  the  hunters  might 
have  heard  his  hard  breathing  but  for  the  panting  of 
their  own  steeds. 

Five  miles  did  they  go  in  that  wild  gallop — five 
miles  without  drawing  rein  or  changing  pace  ! 

The  woods  were  near — perhaps  the  water !  The 
buck  would  gain  them  if  not  hard  pressed — there  might 
be  a  deep  reach  of  some  large  river — the  blauw-bok 
cac  swim  like  a  duck — he  would  plunge  in — they  could 
not  follow — they  would  lose  him  ! 

With  such  fears  the  hunters  spurred  their  hoises  for 
A  final  burst.  Their  speed  had  proved  nearly  equal 
Now  was  the  time  to  try  their  "  bottom." 

Both  shot  forward  at  the  fresh  touch  of  the  steel ;  btrt 


GROOT    WILLEM    GETS    A    TUMBLE.  16 

at  the  second  3r  third  spring  the  ground  under  the 
"  Great  Camel "  gave  way,  and  the  huge  horse  with 
hi?  heavy  rider  rolled  headlong  tc  the  earth  ! 

He  had  broken  through  the  burrow  of  the  aard- 
wolf! 

Hendrik,  who  had  shot  a  little  ahead,  heard  the  con- 
fiised  noise  behind,  and,  looking  over  his  shoulder,  saw 
Groot  Willem  and  the  "  Camel "  struggling  together 
over  the  turf.  A  more  attractive  object,  however,  was 
in  front  of  him — the  panting  buck — and  without  making 
halt,  or  staying  to  inquire  whether  his  fellow-hunter 
was  hurt — a  pardonable  neglect  among  sportsmen — he 
pressed  his  wearied  horse  still  forward  and  onward. 

In  five  minutes  after,  the  buck  stood  to  bay  by  the 
edge  of  the  timber,  and  the  dogs  rushed  up  and  sprang 
at  him.  It  was  a  fatal  spring  for  one  of  them — the 
favorite  of  Groot  Willem.  The  luck  was  against  him, 
as  it  had  gone  against  his  master.  A  single  "  gowl " 
came  from  his  throat,  as  he  was  flung  back  off  the 
sharp  horns  of  the  antelope.  It  was  the  last  note  he 
ever  uttered,  for  in  a  moment  more  he  had  kicked  his, 
last  kick,  and  lay  lifeless  upon  the  plain  ! 

And  very  likely  Hendrik's  favorite  would  have 
shared  the  same  fate  ;  but  his  master  at  this  moment 
riding  near,  caused  the  blue-buck  a  fresh  alarm,  and  he 
broke  bay,  and  dashed  into  the  bushes  followed  by  the 
dog. 

Hendrik  now  lost  sight  of  the  chase,  though  he  could 
hear   the   breaking   branches,  as   the   strong  antelope 
made  his  way  through  the  thicket,  and  the  bayang  of 
the  dog  still  told  him  the  direction  in  which  the 
aras  going. 

5* 


106  GROOT    WILLEM    GETS    A    TUMBLE. 

Putting  his  horse  to  a  more  moderate  pace,  he  fol 
lowed  through  the  bosch,  as  well  as  he  could.  He  ex» 
pected  every  moment  to  hear  the  hound  bark,  the 
signal  that  the  buck  had  again  stood  to  bay,  but  he  waa 
doomed  to  disappointment.  No  such  sound  reached  hia 
ears. 

He  began  to  think  that  the  buck  was  lost,  and  that, 
after  all  the  chances  in  his  favor,  he  would  return  to 
camp  with  no  better  story  to  tell  than  his  rival.  He 
was  becoming  exceedingly  chagrined  with  the  turn  things 
had  taken,  when,  to  his  further  chagrin,  he  heard  a  loud 
plunge,  as  of  some  heavy  object  falling  into  deep  water. 
He  knew  it  was  the  buck.  Another  plunge ! — that  was 
the  dog. 

There  was  a  river  ahead — the  antelope  had  taken  to 
it,  and  would  now  escape  to  a  certainty.  The  water 
seemed  near — there  was  an  open  tract  that  led  in  that 
direction.  Perhaps  he  might  be  in  time.  Perhaps  he 
might  get  to  the  bank  before  the  buck  could  reach  the 
opposite  shore.  A  bullet  from  his  rifle  might  yet 
secure  the  game. 

Without  hesitating  a  moment  he  again  spurred  his 
horse,  and  galloped  down  the  hill  in  the  direction  of  the 
water. 

There  was  a  river,  and  in  a  few  seconds'  time  Hend- 
rik  was  on  its  bank.  He  had  arrived  at  a  place  where 
the  water  was  deep  and  the  current  still,  but  the  rip 
pling  wave  on  the  surface  guided  him.  Two  objects 
were  seen  above  the  surface  moving  rapidly  across 
They  were  the  horns  of  the  buck  and  the  head  of  the 
buck-dog ! 

Hendrik  had  no  time  to  alight.     Before  he   could 


GROOT    WILLKM    <iETS    A    TUMBLE.  107 

steady  his  horse,  the  blauw-bok  had  got  out  of  the 
water,  and  was  climbing  up  the  opposite  bank.  There 
was  just  time  for  a  hurried  shot.  The  broad  back  of  the 
antelope  offered  a  fair  mark,  and  the  next  moment  a 
tuft  of  the  hair  near  the  spine,  was  seen  to  fly  up  like 
a  spark,  while  a  red  stream  spouted  from  the  spot.  The 
crack  of  a  rifle  explained  this  phenomenon  ;  and  before 
its  echoes  had  died  away,  the  antelope  came  tumbling 
down  the  slope,  and  lay  motionless  by  the  edge  of  the 
water. 
The  horns  were  Hendrik's ! 


A    TOUGH    STUUGGLE. 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

A    TOUGH    STRUGGLE. 

THE  horns  were  Hendrik's ! 

So  thought  Hendrik,  when,  at  the  crack  of  his  rifle 
he  saw  the  buck  roll  backward  down  the  bank  into  the 
very  jaws  of  the  buck-dog. 

He  was  mistaken,  however — as  he  had  reason  to 
think  the  moment  after — when  the  antelope,  instead  of 
lying  still  where  it  had  fallen,  rose  to  its  feet  again,  beat 
off  the  dog  with  its  horns,  and  springing  over  him,  once 
more  plunged  into  the  river  !  The  dog  bounded  after, 
and,  swimming  faster  than  the  antelope,  overtook  it  near 
the  middle  of  the  stream,  seizing  it  by  the  quarters  aa 
he  got  within  reach.  The  strong  buck  soon  shook  him 
off,  and  turning  short  upon  his  persecutor,  struck  at  him 
in  the  water.  Two  or  three  times  the  hound  was  under 
its  horns,  but  the  water  yielding  saved  Hendrik'a 
favorite  from  destruction,  although  more  than  once  he 
was  forced  under  the  surface. 

This  struggle  was  kept  up  for  some  moments.  The 
river  ran  red,  blood  pouring  from  the  wound  of  the 
bullet,  as  well  as  from  the  flanks  of  the  antelope,  lacer- 
ated by  the  tusks  of  his  canine  assailant.  The  blood  of 
the  houni  also  helped  to  color  the  current — for  the 


A    TOUGH    STRUGGLE.  19 

i'p  iioras  of  the  buck  had  been  used  to  some  purpose, 
arm  nove)  al  gashes  appeared  in  the  hide  of  the  dog,  from 
which  thtj  crimson  flood  streamed  copiously. 

After  delivering  his  fire,  Hendrik  had  alighted,  not 
with  the  ini nation  of  reloading,  but  merely  to  secure  his 
prize,  which.  &a  lie  supposed,  had  been  finished  by  the 
shot.  He  was  rtbout  tying  his  bridle  to  a  branch ;  but, 
before  he  had  cucec-eded  in  making  a  knot,  the  renewed 
struggle  on  the.  opposite  bank,  followed  by  the  plunge, 
caused  him  suddenly  f>  drop  the  reins  and  again  lay 
hold  of  his  rifle. 

He  loaded  with  aU  baste,  and  ran  forward  to  the 
bank. 

There  was  a  fringing  of  w?llow -bushes  along  the  edge 
of  the  river.  In  the  smiole  Hendrik  had  been  able  to 
look  over  them,  and  at  that  elevation  commanded  a 
view  of  the  water.  Afiwi  he  could  not  see  it,  except 
obscurely  through  the  tops  of  the  willows.  He  could 
only  see  that  the  water  WAS  waving  with  eddies  and 
covered  with  frothy  bubbles.  He  could  hear  that  a 
struggle  was  going  on  between  buck  and  buck-dog,  but 
the  combatants  had  got  close  in  to  the  willows,  and  the 
leaves  prevented  Hendrik  from  seeing  either  of  them. 

At  one  place  there  was  a  break  in  the  willows,  where 
the  bank  sloped  downward  to  the  water's  edge.  It  wsis 
a  mere  pathway,  made  by  wild  animals  in  going  to 
drink.  On  both  sides  of  it  the  bushes  grew  thick,  form- 
ing a  narrow  lane  or  alley. 

Hendrik's  eye  fell  upon  this  path,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment he  was  hastening  down  it. 

The  antelope  from  the  river  had  also  noted  the  path. 
It  was  the  place  easiest  of  access  from  the  water,  as 


110  A   TOUGH    STRUGGLE. 

there  the  bank  was  more  shelving  than  at  any  othel 
point ;  and  just  at  the  time  the  hunter  rushed  into  it 
from  the  woods,  the  buck  was  entering  its  opposite  end 
from  the  water ! 

Both  were  going  at  full  speed,  and  in  five  seconds' 
time  they  met  face  to  face  in  the  narrow  pathway  ! 

There  was  no  chance  for  either  to  make  way  for  the 
other.  The  close  thicket  on  each  side  prevented  that. 
There  was  no  chance  for  either  to  retreat ;  the  impetu- 
osity with  which  they  were  running  rendered  it  impos- 
sible for  either  to  give  back  or  even  halt.  They  must 
meet  with  a  fearful  collision  ! 

Such  a  meeting  would  be  entirely  to  the  advantage 
of  the  buck,  and,  perhaps,  to  the  total  destruction  of  the 
hunter. 

Hendrik  saw  this,  and  would  have  aimed  at  the  buck 
and  fired  had  time  been  allowed  him.  But  so  sudden 
and  unexpected  was  the  encounter  that  he  had  not  even 
time  to  get  his  rifle  to  the  level,  before  the  animal  was 
too  near  to  admit  of  such  delay. 

He  fired  wildly  without  taking  aim.  The  bullet 
scored  the  back  of  the  antelope,  only  to  add  to  its  fury ; 
and  with  head  lowered  and  scimetars  set,  it  rushed  on- 
ward upon  the  hunter. 

It  was  a  moment  of  peril  for  Hendrik.  Another  mo- 
ment, and  he  would  have  been  impaled  upon  the  sharp 
horns ;  but  at  that  instant,  as  if  guided  by  an  impulse  oi 
instinct,  he  dropped  his  rifle,  and  ran  forward  towards 
the  buck,  as  if  to  fling  himself  upon  its  horns  ! 

That  was  far  from  being  his  intention,  however 
When  within  about  three  feet  of  these  horns,  he  gave  s 
sudden  bound  and  rose  like  a  springbok  into  the  air  I 


A    TOrGH    STRUGGLE.  Ill 

Thai  spring  saved  him.  Before  he  came  dowu  again 
the  horns  had  passed  under  him,  and  he  fell  htavily 
across  the  back  of  the  buck. 

The  hind-quarters  of  the  antelope  sank  inder  his 
weight,  and  Hendrik  slipped  off;  but  before  he  could 
recover  his  feet,  the  furious  animal  had  turned,  and  was 
again  springing  upon  him  where  he  lay. 

It  would  have  been  all  up  with  Hendrik,  had  he 
been  left  to  himself  at  that  moment.  But  succor  was 
nigh. 

The  buck-dog  had  reached  the  spot ;  and  just  as  the 
antelope  was  making  his  rush,  the  dog  sprang  forward, 
and,  seizing  it  by  the  throat,  hung  fast. 

Hendrik  received  the  blow,  but  the  weight  of  the  dog 
hanging  to  the  throat  of  the  antelope  prevented  the  lat- 
ter from  giving  it  with  effect,  and  the  hunter  was  but 
slightly  injured. 

In  an  instant  the  buck  kicked  the  dog  off  with  its 
hoofs,  and  flung  him  to  the  ground.  In  another  instant 
it  would  have  finished  him  with  its  horns ;  but  Hendrik, 
from  the  sharp  blow  he  had  received,  was  now  as  angry 
as  the  antelope  itself,  and  was  not  going  to  see  his 
favorite  hound  killed  before  his  eyes  without  making 
an  effort  to  save  him.  Warmed  to  the  conflict,  he 
thought  no  longer  of  retreating ;  arid,  drawing  his  hunt- 
ing knife,  he  sprang  forward  upon  the  antelope,  that,  en- 
gaged with  the  dog,  chanced  to  stand  broadside  towards 
him.  With  his  left  hand  the  hunter  grasped  one  of  the 
horns  near  its  tip ;  and,  using  this  as  a  fulcrum,  ho 
turned  round  upon  it,  and  thrust  the  long  blade  between 
the  ribs  of  the  buck  ! 

It  was  a  home-thrust — for  the  animal  fell  dead  at 


2  A    TOUGH    STRUGGLE. 

Hendrik's  feel  before  he  could  let  go  his  hold  upon  th« 
horn.  The  blade  had  passed  through  its  heart. 

As  soon  as  Hendrik  had  cooled  a  little  from  the  con- 
flict, he  thought  of  Groot  Willem,  who  had  not  yet  coine 
up.  He  began  to  fear  that  the  latter  might  have  re- 
ceived some  serious  injury,  and  he  determined  to  ride 
back  to  the  spot,  letting  the  buck  lie  where  it  had  fallen. 
He  could  return  for  it  afterwards.  Fortunately  his  own 
well-trained  horse  had  not  run  off — though  left  with 
trailing  bridle — and  Hendrik  was  soon  mounted  and  rid- 
ing back  on  the  spoor  of  the  chase. 

There  was  one  thing  that  mystified  Hendrik  not  a 
little.  While  battling  with  the  buck  he  had  heard  the 
loud  report  of  Groot  Willem's  roer.  What  could  he 
have  fired  at  ?  Had  any  of  the  other  antelopes  come 
in  his  way  ?  or  was  it  a  signal  of  distress  ?  Hendrik 
was  mystified  and  felt  some  apprehension. 

He  had  not  far  to  go  to  satisfy  himself.  On  reaching 
the  edge  of  the  timber,  he  saw  Groot  Willem  mounted 
and  about  starting  forward  to  rejoin  him.  This  was  a 
joyful  sight  to  Hendrik,  as  the  fact  that  Groot  Willem 
was  once  more  in  the  saddle  and  the  "  Camel "  upon  his 
legs  again,  was  good  primd  facie  evidence  that  neither 
had  sustained  any  very  serious  damage. 

Nor  had  they,  as  Hendrik  ascertained  by  riding  tip 
to  the  spot.  Groot  Willem  was  not  so  badly  hurt  as 
Hendrik  himself,  for  the  latter  had  one  of  his  arms  well 
scored  by  the  horns  of  the  buck.  Groot  Willem's 
temper,  however,  was  severely  ruffled ;  and  though 
Hendrik  was  very  much  inclined  to  laugh  at  the  acci- 
dent, he  forbore  doing  so,  out  of  regard  for  his  friend'* 
feelings. 


A   TOUGH    STRUGGLE.  113 

Hendrik  now  inquired  about  the  report  he  had 
heard. 

Was  it  the  roer  ?  Groot  Willem  answered  his  ques 
tion  in  the  affirmative,  by  a  simple  nod,  at  the  same 
time  pointing  to  an  odd-looking  animal  that  lay  dead 
upon  the  ground,  with  all  the  appearance  of  having  been 
freshly  killed. 

Hendrik  rode  forward,  and,  bending  down  in  his 
saddle,  for  some  moments  regarded  the  animal. 

A  rare  and  singular  creature  it  was.  It  was  about 
the  size  of  a  large  terrier,  but  shaped  very  differently. 
It  had  the  drooping  hind-quarters  that  distinguish  the 
hyenas,  and  altogether  the  look  of  these  animals  ;  but 
its  muzzle  was  much  more  slender  and  pointed,  its  back 
more  rounded,  and  its  limbs  not  so  stout  as  those  of  the 
hyena's.  It  was  a  more  agreeable  creature  to  look 
upon,  and  although  its  hair  was  long,  it  had  a  soft 
woolly  appearance.  The  general  color  of  the  hair  was 
gray  with  a  reddish  tinge,  and  with  black  bands  running 
transversely  to  the  body  of  the  animal.  This  as  much 
as  anything  else  caused  it  to  resemble  the  hyena — that 
is,  the  species  known  as  the  "  striped  hyena,"  (H. 
ttriata.) 

It  was  not  a  hyena,  however,  but  one  of  those  odd 
animals  that  seem  to  belong  to  no  class  of  creatures,  but 
form  a  connecting  link  between  several.  South  Africa 
ia  especially  prolific  in  such  eccentric  forms,  both  among 
its  birds  and  quadrupeds.  As  an  illustration  of  this,  we 
might  mention  the  wild-hound,  the  hyrax,  the  zerda, 
the  fennec,  the  gnoo,  and  the  aard-vark ;  and  among 
birds,  the  serpent-eater,  the  bateleur  eagle,  and  several 
other  kinds.  Most  of  these  odd  animals  are  only  repre- 


114  A   TO1GH    STRUGGLE. 

lented  by  a  single  species,  and  that  only  to  be  found  jn 
South  Africa. 

Now  the  creature  that  lay  sti  etched  out  before  the 
eyes  of  Hendrik  was  just  one  of  these  zoological  puzzles, 
that  has  occupied  the  attention  of  the  systematists  for  a 
long  while.  Some  have  classed  it  among  dogs,  others 
with  hyenas,  some  make  a  civet  of  it,  and  others  a  fox. 
With  all  these  animals  it  has  affinities,  both  in  habits 
and  anatomical  structure,  but  it  is  not  near  enough  to 
any  to  be  regarded  either  as  dog,  fox,  civet,  or  hyena ; 
and  hence  a  genus  has  been  created  for  itself — the 
genus  Proteles.  It  was  a  proteles  that  lay  upon  the 
ground — Proteles  Delalandii, — so  called  from  its  first 
describer,  the  traveller  De  Lalande. 

Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  knew  the  animal  by  the 
name  of  •'  aard-wolf,"  or  earth-wolf,  so  called  because  it 
lives  under  ground  in  a  burrow  of  its  own  making. 
They  knew  it  well  enough,  for  it  is  common  through  all 
South  Africa — even  in  the  settled  districts,  though  on 
account  of  its  nocturnal  and  burrowing  habits  it  is  not 
often  seen.  It  makes  itself  known  to  the  boor  by  ita 
evil  propensities ;  and  although  he  may  rarely  get  his 
eyes  upon  it,  as  it  is  never  abroad  by  day,  he  is  often 
called  upon  to  witness  the  dire  effects  of  its  midnight 
marauding. 

The  sheep  cf  South  Africa  are  of  a  singular  breed— 
singular  on  account  of  their  large  fleshy  tails,  consisting 
of  a  mass  of  almost  pure  fat  which  often  weighs  several 
pounds,  and  is  used  by  the  colonial  housewives  in  many 
operations  of  cookery.  Now  these  tails,  hanging  to  the 
ground  are  the  favorite  bonne-bouche  of  the  aard-wolf, 
whose  jaws,  not  strong  like  those  of  the  hyena,  compel 


A    TOUGH    STRUGGLE.  115 

him  to  feed  upon  soft  substances.     It  is,  therefore,  no 

uncommon  thing  for  the  veeboor  to  get  up  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  find  several  of  his  best  sheep  divested  of  their 
valuable  tails,  and  all  through  the  voracity  of  the  aard- 
vark. 

It  was  not  likely  that  either  Groot  Willem  or  Hendrik 
was  ignorant  of  the  aard-vark.  Neither  were  they. 
Hendrik  did  not  ride  up  to  examine  the  animal  out  of 
curiosity.  He  had  seen  such  before,  and  killed  them 
too.  His  object  in  bending  over  it  was  to  sec  where 
Groot  Willem's  bullet  had  hit. 

"  Where  had  the  creature  come  from  ? "  he  in- 
quired. 

Groot  Willem  replied  that  it  had  issued  from  its  bur- 
row— the  hole  that  had  caused  the  u  Camel "  to  stumble. 
That  it  had  come  out,  just  as  he,  Groot  Willem,  recov- 
ered his  feet ;  and  that,  provoked  at  it  for  having  been 
the  cause  of  his  misfortune,  he  had  sent  a  bullet  through 
it,  otherwise  he  would  not  have  reckoned  it  worth  his 
powder  and  lead. 

This  explained  the  report  of  the  roer. 

Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  were  now  about  to  return 
tor  the  buck,  with  the  intention  of  carrying  as  much  of 
the  meat  to  camp  as  they  could  manage  upon  their 
horses ;  when  Hans  and  Arend  came  up,  and  the  four 
rode  off  together. 

They  quartered  the  antelope,  and  each  having  packed 
a  quarter  upon  his  croup,  they  set  out  for  the  camp. 

All  of  them  were  in  good  spirits,  except  perhaps 
Groot  Willem,  who  had  two  reasons  for  feeling  out  of 
sorts, — the  loss  of  his  dog,  and  the  loss  of  a  little  of  hia 
hunter-fame.  And  he  was  not  permitted  to  forget  hia 


116  A   TOUGH    STRUGGLE. 

accident  so  easily,  for  although  Hendrik  had  forborne 
to  give  him  further  chagrin,  yet  Hans  and  Arwid  did 
not  deal  so  delicately  with  him,  but  both  laughed  heart 
0  f  at  his  unfortunate  tumble 


THE   ARROW-POISON.  Ill 


CHAPTER  XVni. 

THE  ARROW-POISON. 

KLAA.S  and  Jan  had  long  since  ridden  their  ponies 
back  to  camp,  and  having  off-saddled,  remained  by  the 
wagons. 

For  all  that  they  were  not  idle — that  is,  they  were 
not  without  something  to  interest  and  amuse  them. 
Swartboy  was  the  genius  worshipped  by  Klaas  and  Jan, 
for  there  was  no  bird  in  all  Africa  that  Swartboy  could 
not  either  snare  or  trap  ;  and  in  his  hours  of  leisure, 
when  the  oxen  were  krauled  and  off  his  hands,  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  showing  the  two  young  "mynheers" 
how  to  construct  many  a  sort  of  decoy  and  trap  for  the 
fowls  of  the  air. 

Upon  this  day  in  particular,  however,  they  were  more 
than  usually  interested  in  the  Bushman's  proceedings, 
as  his  attention  was  turned  to  capturing, — not  a  fowl  of 
the  air,  but  of  the  earth, — an  ostrich. 

Swartboy  had  resolved  to  pluck  the  plumes  cut  of 
the  old  cock  that  had  been  seen,  and  whose  dwdl'ng 
had  been  so  rudely  approached  and  plundered  in  the 
morning. 

But  how  was  Swartboy  to  capture  the  cock  ? 

It  wits  not  his  intention  to  take  him  alive.     That  if 


1  \  5  THE    ARROW-POISOW 

a  difficult  matter,  and  can  only  be  managed  by  meu 
mounted  upon  fleet  horses,  and  then  after  a  very  long 
and  troublesome  chase. 

Swartboy  had  no  wish  to  take  the  ostrich  alive.  The 
bird  would  be  of  no  use  to  him  in  that  way,  as  the  skin 
and  plume-feathers  were  the  spoils  upon  which  the 
Bushman's  thoughts  were  bent,  or  rather  the  rix-dollara 
which  these  would  yield  on  Swartboy's  return  to  Graaf 
Reinet.  Therefore  he  did  not  intend  to  catch  the  old 
cock,  but  kill  him,  if  he  could. 

But  how  was  the  Bushman  to  accomplish  this  ? 
Would  he  borrow  the  rifle  from  Hendrik,  or  the  great 
elephant-gun — the  "  roer  " — from  Groot  Willem,  and 
shoot  the  ostrich  ?  Not  likely.  Swartboy  was  no  shot, 
that  is,  with  fire-arms.  He  knew  nothing  about  them  , 
and  with  either  rifle  or  roer  he  could  scarcely  have  hit 
an  elephant,  much  less  an  ostrich ! 

But  if  Swartboy  knew  not  how  to  manage  a  gun,  lie 
had  a  weapon  of  his  own  that  he  did  know  how  to  man- 
age,— his  bow.  With  that  tiny  bow, — scarce  a  yard  in 
length, — and  those  small  slender  arrows,  the  Bushman 
could  send  a  missile  as  deadly  as  the  leaden  bullet  of 
either  rifle  or  roer. 

Looking  at  the  light  reed,  with  its  little  barbed  head 
and  feathered  shaft,  you  would  scarcely  believe  it  pos- 
sible that  such  a  weapon  could  bring  down  the  big 
strong  ostrich ;  and  yet  with  a  similar  shaft  had  Swart- 
boy often  levelled  the  great  camelopard  in  the  dust. 
A  deadly  and  dangerous  weapon  was  the  Bushman's 
arrow. 

But  what  rendered  it  so?  Not  its  size,  and  surely 
not  the  force  with  which  it  could  be  projected  from  thai 


THE    ARROW-POISON.  119 

tiny  bow  ?  Neither.  There  was  something  besides  the 
strength  of  the  bow  and  the  weight  of  the  arrow  to 
make  it  a  "  deadly  and  dangerous  weapon."  The^e  was 
poison. 

Swartboy's  arrows  were  true  Bushman  weapons,— 
they  \\  are  poisoned.  No  wonder  they  were  deadly. 

The  use  of  the  bow  among  savage  nations  all  over 
the  earth,  and  the  great  similarity  of  its  form  and  con- 
struction everywhere,  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  curious  facts  in  the  history  of  our  race.  Tribes 
and  nations  that  appear  to  have  been  isolated  beyond 
all  possible  communication  with  the  rest  of  the  world, 
are  found  in  possession  of  this  universal  weapon,  con- 
structed on  the  same  principle,  and  only  differing  slightly 
in  details — these  details  usually  having  reference  to  sur- 
rounding circumstances.  When  all  else  between  two 
tribes  or  nations  of  savages  may  differ,  both  will  be 
found  carrying  a  common  instrument  of  destruction, — 
the  bow  and  arrows. 

Can  it  be  mere  coincidence,  like  necessities  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  world  producing  like  results,  or  is  this 
possession  of  a  similar  weapon  among  distant  and  re- 
,  mote  peoples  a  proof  of  unity  or  communication  between 
them  in  early  times  ? 

These  inquiries  would  lead  to  a  long  train  of  reflec- 
tions, which,  however  interesting,  would  here  be  out 
of  place. 

But  an  equally  or  still  more  curious  fact  is  that  of 
poisoned  arrows.  We  find  here  and  there,  in  almost 
every  quarter  of  the  globe,  tribes  of  savages  who  poisot 
their  arrows ;  and  the  mode  of  preparing  and  using 
this  poison  is  almost  exactly  the  same  among  <»1!  of 


\  tO  THE   ARROW-POISON. 

them.  Where  there  is  a  difference,  it  arises  from  the 
different  circumstances  by  which  the  tribe  may  be  sur- 
rounded. 

Now  the  knowledge  of  arrow-poison,  as  well  as  the 
mode  of  preparing  it  and  the  habit  of  using  it,  belong 
to  tribes  of  savages  so  completely  isolated,  that  it  is  not 
probable — hardly  possible,  in  fact — that  either  they  or 
their  ancestors  could  ever  have  communicated  it  to  one 
another.  We  cannot  believe  that  there  ever  existed  in- 
tercourse between  the  Bushman  of  Africa  and  the 
Chuncho  of  the  Amazon,  much  less  between  the  former 
and  the  forest  tribes  of  North  America ;  yet  all  these 
use  the  arrow-poison  and  prepare  it  in  a  similar  man- 
ner !  All  make  it  by  a  mixture  of  vegetable  poison 
with  the  subtle  fluid  extracted  from  the  fang-glands  of 
venomous  serpents.  In  North  America,  the  rattlesnake 
and  moccason,  with  several  species  of  roots,  furnish  the 
material ;  in  South  America,  the  "  wourali,"or  "  curare,'' 
as  it  is  indifferently  called,  is  a  mixture  of  a  vegetable 
juice  with  the  poison  extracted  from  the  glands  of  the 
coral-snake,  (Echidna  ocellata,)  the  "boiquira"  or 
"  diamond  rattlesnake,"  (Crotalus  horridus,)  the  lance- 
headed  "viper,"  (Trigonocephalus  lanceolate,,)  the 
formidable  "  bushmaster,"  (Lachesis  rhombeata,)  and 
(several  other  species.  In  South  Africa,  a  similar  result 
is  obtained  by  mixing  the  fluid  from  the  poison  glands 
of  the  puff-adder,  or  that  of  various  species  of  naja, 
the  "  cobras  "  of  that  country,  with  the  juice  from  the 
root  of  an  Amaryllis,  called  gift-bol  (poison-bulb)  in 
the  phraseology  of  the  colonial  Dutch.  It  is  out  of 
fjch  elements  that  the  Bushman  mixes  his  dangeroui 
compound. 


THE    ARROW-POISON.  J21 

Now  our  Bushman,  Swartboy,  understood  the  proc- 
ess as  well  as  any  of  his  race ;  and  it  was  in  watch- 
ing him  mixing  the  ingredients  and  poisoning  his 
arrows  that  Klaas  and  Jan  spent  the  early  portion  of 
that  day. 

AT  the  ingredients  he  carried  with  him ;  for  when- 
ever a  "  geel  coppel,"  (Naja  haje,)  or  a  "  spuugh- 
glan&;"  (Naja  nigra,)  or  the  "  puff-adder,"  ( Vipera 
arretans,)  or  the  horned  viper,  (  Cerastes  caudalisj) — 
whenever  any  of  these  was  killed  on  the  route- — and 
mnny  were — Swartboy  took  care  to  open  the  poison- 
gland,  situated  behind  their  fangs,  and  take  therefrom 
the  drop  of  venom,  which  he  carefully  preserved  in  a 
small  phial.  He  also  carried  another  ingredient,  a  spe- 
cies of  bitumen  obtained  from  certain  caverns,  where  it 
exudes  from  the  rocks.  The  object  of  this  is  not,  as 
supposed  by  some  travellers,  to  render  the  charm  "  more 
potent,"  but  simply  to  make  it  glutinous,  so  that  it  would 
stick  securely  to  the  barb  of  the  arrow,  and  not  brush 
off  too  easily.  A  similar  result  is  obtained  by  the  South 
American  Indians  from  a  vegetable  gum. 

The  gift-bol,  or  poison-bulb,  was  easily  obtained,  as 
the  species  of  Amaryllis  that  yields  it  grew  plentifully 
near.  But  Swartboy  had  not  trusted  to  this  chance,  as 
during  past  days  he  had  plucked  several  of  the  roots,  and 
put  them  away  in  one  of  the  side-chests  of  the  wagon, 
where  many  other  little  knick-knacks  of  his  lay  snugly 
wowed. 

Klaa^j  and  Jan,  therefore,  had  the  rare  chance  of 
witnessing  the  manufacture  of  the  celebrated  arrow- 
poison. 

They  saw  Swartboy  bruise  tae  gift-bol,  and  simmei 
6 


122  THE   ARROW-POISON. 

it  over  the  fire  in  a  small  tin  pan  which  he  had  ;  thej 
saw  him  drop  in  the  precious  snake-venom  ;  they  sam 
him  stir  it  round,  until  it  became  of  a  very  dark  color, 
and  then,  to  their  great  astonishment,  they  saw  him  try 
its  strength  by  tasting  ! 

This  seemed  odd  to  both,  and  so  may  it  to  you,  boy 
reader, — that  a  drop  of  poison,  the  smallest  portion  of 
which  would  have  killed  Swartboy  as  dead  as  a  her* 
ring,  could  be  thus  swallowed  by  him  with  im- 
punity ! 

But  you  are  to  remember  that  poisons,  both  veget- 
able and  mineral,  are  very  different  in  their  nature.  A 
small  quantity  of  arsenic  taken  into  the  stomach  will 
produce  death,  and  yet  you  might  swallow  the  head  of 

rattlesnake,  fangs,  poison-gland,  and  all,  without  the 
slightest  danger. 

On  the  contrary,  if  a  single  grain  of  the  latter  were 
to  enter  your  blood,  even  if  it  were  only  scratched  in 
with  a  pin,  its  effects  would  be  fatal,  while  other  poisons 
may  be  introduced  into  the  blood  without  any  fatal 
result. 

Swartboy  knew  there  was  no  arsenic  or  any  species 
of  "stomach-poison,"  if  I  am  allowed  to  use  such  a 
phrase,  in  his  mixture.  It  was  only  "  blood-poison," 
which  he  might  taste  with  impunity. 

The  bitumen  was  the  last  thing  put  into  the  pan , 
and  when  Swartboy  had  stirred  it  a  while  longer 
aid  sufficiently  thickened  it,  so  that  it  would  adhere 
*o  the  barbs,  he  took  down  a  quiver  of  arrows  al- 
ready made,  and  dipped  each  of  them  into  the  poison 
As  soon  as  the  barbs  had  cooled,  and  the  poison 
I>ecame  well  dried,  the  arrows  were  ready  for  use, 


TBE    ARROW-POISON. 


and  Swartboy  intended  that  some  of  tliera  should  be 
used  on  that  very  day.  Before  the  sun  should  set,  ho 
designed  sending  one  or  more  of  them  through  the  skin 
of  an  ostrich. 


DECOYING   THE    OLD    COCX- 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

DECOYING   THE    OLD    COCK. 

IT  was  not  the  process  of  mixing  the  arrcw-poison, 
to  much  as  the  use  to  be  made  of  it,  that  interested 
Klaas  and  Jan.  They  knew  that  the  Bushman  intended 
to  try  its  effect  on  an  ostrich  that  afternoon.  More  than 
that,  Swart  boy  had  promised  they  should  actually  see  how 
he  managed  matters,  and  witness  the  death  of  the 
ostrich.  With  such  a  prospect  before  them,  the  boys 
were  in  high  spirits  all  the  fore  part  of  the  day. 

It  was  to  be  late  in  the  afternoon,  near  sunset,  in  fact, 
before  the  sport  should  come  off.  Of  course  not  till  the 
return  of  the  ostriches  to  their  nest — for  it  was  there 
the  drama  was  to  be  enacted.  The  nest  and  its  envi- 
rons were  to  be  the  scene  of  the  tragedy — the  time  a 
little  before  sunset.  Such  was  Swartboy's  "  pro- 
gramme." 

Of  course  Swartboy  had  leave  from  the  older  boys  to 
go  upon  almost  whatever  expedition  he  pleased,  but  cer- 
tainly upon  this  one,  since  Klaas  and  Jan  were  so  inter- 
ested about  it.  Indeed,  some  of  the  others  would  have 
liked  to  take  part  in  the  affair,  but  for  certain  reasons 
that  could  not  be. 

Some  of  the  hunters  had  doubts  as  to  the  result 


DECODING    THE    OLD    COCK.  125 

They  knew  the  poisoned  arrow  would  HI/  any  ostrich. 
They  did  not  doubt  that.  But.  how  was  Swartboy  to 
get  near  enough  to  discharge  one  of  his  tiny  shafts  into 
the  bird's  body?  That  was  the  question  that  puzzled 
thoin.  He  proposed  doing  so  in  broad  daylight.  Indeed 
there  was  no  other  time  ibr  him.  All  knew  that  before 
night  the  ostriches  would  return  to  their  nest — as  soon 
as  the  sun  was  low,  and  it  became  cooler, — but  they 
knew  also  that  the  birds  having  found  out  what  had 
happened  in  their  absence  would  start  off  in  alarm,  and 
abandon  the  nest  altogether. 

Swartboy,  therefore,  would  have  no  darkness  to  shelter 
him  from  their  gaze.  How  was  he  to  approach  them 
within  the  range  required  for  his  small  bow — that  is, 
within  less  than  fifty  yards  ? 

Did  he  intend  to  place  himself  in  ambush  and  wait 
for  their  return  ?  If  he  did,  it  must  be  near  the  nest, 
else  he  would  have  but  a  poor  chance.  There  was  no 
knowing  in  what  direction  the  birds  might  come  back, 
or  which  way  they  would  scamper  off  again. 

Now  for  Swartboy  to  conceal  himself  near  the  nest, 
all  believed  to  be  an  impossibility.  There  was  not  a  bit 
of  cover  within  five  hundred  yards  of  the  spot — neither 
lush  nor  stone  big  enough  to  conceal  the  body  of  a  man 
from  creatures  less  wary  than  ostriches,  but  from  these 
a  cat  could  not  have  hidden  her  carcass  within  a  circle 
of  a  thousand  yards  diameter.  As  to  Swartboy's  sink- 
ing a  "  shooting-hole  "  and  lying  await  in  that,  the  boys 
never  thought  of  such  a  thing.  A  shooting-hole  sur- 
rounded by  bushes  might  do  for  a  lion,  or  a  rhinoceros, 
or  an  elephant,  but  no  ostrich  could  be  bamboozled  by 
fny  such  ruse;  for  these  birds — that  on  account  of  their 


126  DECOYING   THE    OLD    COOK. 

appearance  have  been  called  stupid  by  some  supeificiaJ 
observers — are  in  reality  the  very  reverse.  The  slight- 
est alteration  in  the  form  of  the  ground,  either  around 
their  nests  or  near  it,  would  be  noted  by  them,  and  would 
prevent  them  from  approaching  it,  except  after  such  a 
reconnoissance  as  would  defeat  all  Swartboy's  plans 
But  he  had  no  thought  of  a  shooting-hole — nothing  of 
the  sort. 

What  plan,  then,  had  he  in  his  mind  ?  The  boys 
could  not  guess ;  and  Swartboy,  like  all  cunning  hunters, 
did  not  care  to  tell  his  plans  to  everybody.  He  preferred 
letting  them  discover  them  by  his  acts ;  and  as  all  oi 
them  were  hunters  themselves  and  boys  of  good  breed 
ing,  they  did  not  persecute  him  with  idle  questions,  bu< 
watched  his  preparations  in  silence. 

Now  one  of  his  preparations,  made  before  starting, 
was  to  take  the  little  fennec  that  had  been  killed  in  the 
morning,  and  "  truss  "  it  with  a  number  of  skewers,  in 
such  a  way  that  it  stood  upright  upon  its  legs,  and  at  a 
short  distance  looked  as  if  it  was  "  alive  and  well ! " 

This  was  Swartboy's  last  act,  before  setting  out  for 
the  ostriches'  nest. 

When  it  was  finished,  Swartboy  observed  that  the  sun 
was  low  enough,  and  taking  the  fennec  under  his  arm, 
and  his  bow  in  his  hand,  he  struck  off  over  the  plain. 

The  boys  were  to  be  spectators  of  the  affair,  but  that 
was  rather  in  a  figurative  sense.  There  were  two  pocket 
telescopes,  and  when  Swartboy  promised  that  Klaus  and 
Jan  should  be  witnesses  of  the  thing,  he  had  these  tele- 
scopes in  his  mind.  For  certain  reasons  he  coul  I  not 
take  any  of  the  boys  along  with  him,  and  from  the  wary 
zharacter  of  the  game  they  could  not  go  near  enough  to 


DECOYING    THE    OLD    COCK.  127 

observe  it  with  the  naked  eye.  To  have  done  so  would 
have  driven  the  ostriches  out  of  Swartboy's  reach,  foi 
it  Las  been  already  stated  that  these  far-seeing  birds  can 
sight  an  enemy  farther  off  than  they  can  themselves  be 
seen. 

The  telescopes,  therefore,  must  be  brought  into  play, 
and  as  Klaas  and  Jan  begged  to  have  the  use  of  them, 
it  was  arranged  that  the  two  boys  should  climb  into  a 
tree,  and  describe  what  they  saw  to  the  rest,  who  stood 
below.  That  would  be  witnessing  a  spectacle  by  a  sort 
of  second  sight,  as  Arend  jocosely  remarked. 

Klaas  and  Jan  were  therefore  hoisted  up  into  a  camel- 
thorn  acacia;  and,  seating  themselves  on  its  branches, 
prepared  their  telescopes  for  use. 

The  elevation  enabled  them  not  only  to  see  the  nest, 
for  that  was  visible  from  the  ground,  but  the  surface  of 
the  plain  to  a  considerable  distance  beyond.  They 
would  thus  be  enabled  to  note  every  movement  either 
Swartboy  or  the  ostriches  should  make. 

Now  it  has  been  stated  that  within  a  circle  of  five 
hum]  ~?d  yards  radius  from  the  nest,  there  was  no  cover 
that  would  have  concealed  a  cat.  With  the  exception 
of  a  stone  here  and  there — none  of  them  larger  than  a 
quartern  loaf — the  sandy  surface  was  perfectly  smooth 
and  level  as  a  table. 

The  boys  had  noticed  this  in  the  morning,  Hendrik 
and  Groot  Willera  had  taken  good  notice  of  it,  for  they, 
as  well  as  Swartboy,  had  thought  of  "waylaying"  the 
ostriches  on  their  return,  but  had  given  up  the  idea, 
from  the  fact  of  there  being  no  cover  to  conceal  them 
from  the  eyes  of  the  wary  birds. 

But  ju.u  outside  the  circumference  mentioned,  there 


15'8  DECOYING    THE    OLD    COCK. 

was  a  chance  of  cover — a  bush  that  by  tight  squeezing 
might  have  sheltered  the  body  of  a  man.  Beth  Hend- 
rik  and  Groot  Willem  had  seen  this  bush,  but  on  account 
of  its  great  distance  from  the  nest  they  had  never  thought 
of  its  being  used  as  a  cover.  Five  hundred  yards  off, 
— it  might  as  well  have  been  five  miles.  Even  had  if 
been  on  the  side  by  which  the  ostriches  had  gone  off, 
and  by  which  they,  the  hunters,  conjectured  they  would 
return,  the  bush  might  have  served.  A  shot  might  havi1 
been  obtained  as  the  birds  came  back  to  the  nest.  But 
it  was  not  on  that  side, — on  the  very  opposite — and  in 
the  direction  of  the  camp.  Neither  Ilendrik  nor  Groot 
Willem  had  entertained  the  idea  of  lying  behind  it. 

Swartboy  had  ;  and  to  this  bush  now  repaired  Swart- 
boy  as  straight  as  he  could  go.  For  what  purpose  ?  To 
conceal  himself  behind  it,  and  wait  for  the  ostriches. 
That  was  his  design. 

But  what  would  his  arrows  avail — poisoned  as  they 
were — at  the  distance  of  five  hundred  yards  ?  Ah  ! 
Swartboy  knew  what  he  was  about.  Let  us  record  his 
movements  in  the  words  of  Klaas  and  Jan,  who  watched 
them  narrowly. 

"  Swartboy  has  reached  the  bush,"  reported  Jan ; 
*'  he  lays  down  his  bow  and  arrows  beside  it.  Now  he 
has  gone  away  from  it.  He  is  proceeding  in  a  straight 
line  towards  the  nest.  He  has  the  fox  with  him.  See ! 
he  stops  again, — a  little  beyond  the  bush  he  has  halted 
—between  it  and  the  nest,  but  nearer  the  bush." 

"  Very  near  the  bush,"  said  Klaas  ;  "  not  twenty  yards 
from  it,  I'm  sure." 

"  Well,  what  does  he  do  there  ?  "  demanded  Ilendrik 
*  He  appears  to  be  stooping  ?  " 


DECOYING  THE  OLD  COOK.          129 

u  He  is  stooping,"  replied  Jan.     "  Let  me  see  !     lie'? 
got  the  fox  in  his  hands,  he  is  placing  it  on  the  ground 
He  has  left  it !     I  declare,  it  is  standing  by  itself,  as  if 
it  were  alive  !  " 

"  It's  very  clear  what  he  intends  by  that,"  said  Hans ; 
'1  can  understand  now  how  he  means  to  get  the  bird* 
vithin  range." 

"  And  I !  "  rejoined  Hendrik. 

*  And  I ! "  echoed  Groot  Willem. 

"  Now,"  continued  Jan,  "  he's  going  on  to  the  nest- 
be  has  reached  it,  and  is  walking  round  and  round,  and 
stooping  and  kicking  with  his  feet.  I  can't  tell  what  he's 
about — can  you,  Klaas  ?  " 

"  I  think,"  replied  Klaas,  "  he's  trying  to  cover  up  the 
broken  shells  we  left  there.'* 

"  Oh !  that's  exactly  it ! "  said  Jan.  "  See !  he's  stoop- 
ing over  the  nest,  he  has  lifted  an  egg  in  his  hand ! " 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  only  the  fresh  eggs  were 
brought  away  in  the  morning.  Those  in  the  nest  that 
had  undergone  hatching  were  of  course  let  alone — all 
except  one  or  two,  that  had  been  broken  to  "  try"  them. 

"  He's  coming  back  this  way,"  said  Jan.  "  He  has 
the  egg  in  his  hand !  Now  he  has  put  it  down  right 
under  the  snout  of  the  fox ! " 

u  Ha ! "  ejaculated  Hans,  Groot  Willem,  and  Hendrik. 
u  how  cunning  of  old  Swart ! " 

"  Now,"  continued  Jan,  "  he's  back  to  the  bush  :  and 
now  he's  squatted  down  behind  it." 

After  a  little  while  both  Klaas  and  Jan  announced 
that  Swartboy  was  making  no  further  movements,  but 
continued  to  lie  quietly. 

Now  the  secret  of   Swartboy's  strategy  lay  it  hii 
6* 


130         DECOYING  THE  OLD  COCK. 

knowledge  of  a  fact  in  natural  history, — a  knowledge 
of  the  antipathy  that  exists  between  the  ostrich  and  the 
egg-eating  fox.  Swartboy's  experience  had  taught  him 
the  habits  of  the  fennec,  and  also  the  hostile  feeling  of 
the  ostrich  towards  this  enemy.  So  strong  is  this  feel- 
ing on  the  part  of  the  bird,  that  whenever  it  sets  its  ey« 
upon  one  of  these  creatures  it  will  run  directly  towards 
it,  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  it.  On  such  occasions 
the  speed  of  the  quadruped  will  not  save  it.  Unless  ita 
burrow  be  nigh,  or  some  thick  bush  or  cleft  among  the 
rocks  offer  it  a  shelter,  a  single  kick  from  the  legs  of 
the  mighty  bird  at  once  puts  an  end  to  its  prowling  ex- 
istence. 

Swartboy  knew  all  this,  and  for  that  reason  had  he 
set  his  decoy.  Conspicuously  placed,  the  birds  would 
be  sure  to  see  it ;  and  with  their  nest  half  plundered, 
and  one  of  the  eggs  still  under  its  very  nose,  they  would 
not  be  slow  in  coming  up  to  take  revenge  upon  the  poor 
fennec,  the  supposed  robber,  and  to  them  well-known 
burglar. 

"  The  ostriches  are  coming ! "  cried  the  sharp-sighted 
Jan,  after  a  long  pause. 

"  Where  ?  "  asked  Klaas.  "  I  don't  see  them  yet ; — 
where,  Jan  ?  " 

"  Yonder,"  replied  Jan.    "  Beyond  the  nest, — far  off." 

"  Oh,  now  I  see  !  "  said  Klaas ;  "  just  the  way  they 
went  off  in  the  morning ;  three  of  them, — a  cock  and 
two  hens, — they  are  the  same,  I  suppose." 

u  Now  they  are  getting  up  near  the  nest,"  repoi  ted 
Jan  ;  "  now  they  are  up  to  it.  See  them  !  What  ar« 
they  doing  ?  they  are  running  about  in  a  terrible  way. 
See !  their  heads  move  up  and  down, — they  are  striking 
with  their  legs.  What  are  they  about  ?  " 


DECOTrNG  THE  OLD  COCK.          131 

"I  think, '  rejoined  Klaas, — "  I  declare  I  think  they 
*re  breaking  the  eggs" 

"  2sot  a  doubt  of  it,"  remarked  Hans.  "  That  is  al- 
ways  their  way  when  they  return  and  find  the  nest  dis- 
turbed nther  by  a  human  being  or  an  animal.  No 
doubt  that  is  what  they  are  at." 

Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  confirmed  this  statement 
by  their  assent. 

"  Oh  ! "  exclaimed  Jan,  "  they  have  left  the  nest,— 
they  are  coming  this  way, — they  are  coming  towards 
Swartboy, — how  fast  they  run  !  Hey — they  are  upon 
the  fennec  !  Ho  !  they  have  kicked  it  over !  See,  they 
are  pecking  it  with  their  bills  and  knocking  it  about 
like  a  foot-ball.  Hurrah  !  such  a  jolly  game  as  is  going 
on  yonder ! " 

"  What  is  old  Swart  doing,  anyhow  ?  They're  near 
enough  for  a  shot." 

*  He's  doing  something,"  answered  Klaas.  **  I'm 
sure  I  saw  him  move.  Did  he  not  draw  his  bow 
yonder  ?  " 

"  He  did,"  replied  Jan  ;  "  he  has  let  off  an  arrow.  I 
saw  his  arms  move  suddenly.  See,  the  ostriches  are  ofl 
again.  Ho  !  they  are  quite  gone  ! " 

It  was  not  so,  however ;  for,  although  the  three  ran 
off  on  hearing  the  twang  of  the  Bushman's  bow,  they 
did  not  run  far.  After  going  some  quarter  of  a  mile  01 
BO,  the  cock  began  to  droop  his  wings  and  run  round  in 
circles,  the  hens  all  the  while  following.  His  move- 
ments now  became  of  a  very  eccentric  kind,  and  it  was 
plain  that  Swartboy's  arrow  had  pierced  him,  and  the 
poison  was  doing  its  work.  The  bird  reeled  like  a 
drunken  man,  once  or  twice  fell  to  its  knees,  rose  again, 


132  DECOYING   THE    OLD    COCK. 

ran  on  a  piece  farther,  flapping  its  wings,  and  vibrating 
its  long  neck  from  side  to  side  ;  and  then,  staggering 
forward,  fell  upon  the  plain  ! 

For  several  minutes  it  continued  to  flutter,  kicking 
out  with  its  strong  limbs,  and  raising  the  dust  as  if  it 
had  been  a  buffalo.  At  length  its  struggles  ceased,  and 
it  lay  motionless  upon  the  sand. 

The  two  hens  still  continued  near,  and  from  their  ac- 
tions were  evidently  both  surprised  and  alarmed.  They 
did  not,  however,  attempt  to  run  off,  until  Swartboy, 
knowing  they  were  far  beyond  the  reach  of  his  bow, 
rose  up  from  his  ambush,  and  walked  towards  them. 
Then  both  took  to  their  heels,  and  scouring  off  over  the 
plain,  were  soon  out  of  sight. 

Klaas  and  Jan  now  reported  that  Swartboy  was  stoop- 
ing over  the  dead  cock,  and,  as  they  believed,  skinning 
him. 

That  was  exactly  what  Swartboy  was  doing,  for, 
about  an  hour  after,  he  came  into  camp  carrying  the 
skin  upon  his  shoulders,  and  with  an  air  of  triumph,  tiutt 
plainly  said, — 

a  Congo,  could  you  do  that  ?  " 


A    BKCSH    WITH    THE   BRINDLED    QNOO  13HJ 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A  BRUSH  WITH  THE  BRINDLED  GNOO. 

THE  young  yagers  resolved  to  stay  a  couple  of  day. 
longer  by  the  fountain  in  the  mokhala  grove.  Thei« 
object  was  to  wait  until  the  flesh  of  the  blue-buck— 
which  is  excellent  eating — should  be  reduced  to  biltong 
They  did  not  know  what  chance  of  game  there  might 
be  upon  their  route  for  the  next  five  or  six  days.  The 
way  was  new  to  all  of  them — even  to  the  guide  Congo, 
who  had  only  a  general  knowledge  of  that  part  of  tho 
country.  They  were  heading  for  the  Molopo  River, 
and  Congo  knew  how  to  find  that  well  enough  ;  but  their 
route  through  the  interlying  country  he  knew  nothing 
about.  There  might  be  plenty  of  game — there  might 
be  a  great  scarcity  of  it — he  could  not  tell. 

Of  course  neither  could  Swartboy.  The  hunters 
tfere  new  out  of  the  Bushman  country  and  into  a  terri- 
tory inhabited  by  poor  tribes  of  the  great  Bechuana 
family.  Swartboy's  native  district  lay  to  the  south- 
west, in  the  direction  of  Namaqualand.  He  had  never 
been  so  far  east  in  his  life,  and  of  course  was  quite  a 
stranger  to  the  route  they  were  pursuing. 

Under  these  circumstances  Hans,  who  from  his  age 
Mil  superior  wisdom  was  looked  upon  as  a  sort  of 


184    A  BRUSH  WITH  THE  BRINDLED  GNOO. 

leader,  recommended  that  they  should  not  go  forward 
until  they  bad  properly  jerked  the  flesh  of  the  blue- 
Duck. 

That,  with  what  remained  of  the  gemsbok,  would 
secure  them  against  falling  short  of  provision,  should 
game  prove  scarce.  They  would  only  have  to  tarry  a 
couple  of  days  longer.  That  would  be  sufficient  under 
such  a  strong  sun  to  dry  the  biltong  properly,  whereas 
if  packed  without  being  well  cured,  the  hot  weather 
would  spoil  it  directly,  and  they  might  be  left  in  the 
lurch  without  a  morsel  of  meat. 

Their  stay  at  their  present  camp  was,  therefore,  pro- 
longed for  two  days,  during  which  time  the  flesh  of  the 
blue-buck,  with  the  remaining  parts  of  that  of  the  oryx 
hanging  in  red  festoons  from  the  branches  of  the  aca- 
cias, became  dark,  stiff,  and  hard  to  the  touch,  and  was 
then  in  a  condition  to  keep  for  several  weeks  if  re- 
quired. 

But  the  young  yagers  did  not  remain  constantly  by 
the  camp  during  all  the  intervening  time.  The  biltong 
required  no  watching.  It  had  been  hung  upon  branches, 
sufficiently  high  to  place  it  beyond  the  reach  of  prowling 
jackals  and  hyenas  at  night,  and  during  the  day  there 
was  always  some  one  by  the  camp  to  keep  off  the 
vultures. 

On  the  first  of  these  two  days  the  young  yagers 
mounted,  all  six,  and  rode  off  to  the  grassy  plains,  where 
they  had  hunted  the  blue-buck,  in  hopes  of  falling  in 
either  with  this  or  some  other  species  of  antelope. 

They  were  not  disappointed.  On  arriving  at  the 
plain,  they  perceived  that  it  was  occupied — not  by  one, 
but  by  several  kinds  of  creatures.  Three  species  of 


A  BUCSH  WITH  THE  BRINDLED  GNOO.    135 

Animals  were  seen  upon  it.  Far  out  was  a  herd  of 
.small  creatures,  whose  lyre-shaped  horns,  and  yellow 
lun  bodies,  told  that  they  were  springboks, — a  fact 
made  plain  by  their  strange  behavior, — by  individuals 
of  the  herd  now  and  then  bounding  up  into  the  air,  ami 
throwing  open  the  marsupial  folding  of  skin  over  their 
croups,  and  displaying  the  long  snow-white  hail  that 
lines  that  singular  pouch. 

Not  far  from  these,  and  occasionally  mixing  among 
them,  was  a  drove  of  larger  animals,  whose  singular 
color  and  markings  could  not  be  mistaken.  They  were 
dauws,  or,  in  the  clumsy  language  of  the  closet  natural- 
ists, '•  Burchell's  zebras,"  (Equus  Burchellii.)  It  has 
been  already  stated  that  this  species  differs  from  the 
true  zebra  in  several  respects.  Its  ground  color  is  light 
sienna,  while  that  of  the  zebra  is  nearly  white.  Tho 
stripes  upon  the  former  are  dark  brown,  while  those  of 
the  latter  are  pure  black  ;  but  the  most  characteristic 
difference  in  the  markings  is,  that  in  the  true  zebra  the 
stripes  continue  in  rings  down  the  legs  to  the  very  hoofs, 
while  in  the  dauw  the  legs  are  white.  The  ears  and 
tail  of  the  zebra  are  more  asinine  than  those  of  the 
dauw,  while  the  tail  of  the  latter  is  much  the  longer,  aa 
indeed  is  the  body  of  the  animal. 

Both  are  beautiful  creatures — perhaps  the  most 
beautiful  quadrupeds  in  the  world — a  fine  horse  always 
excepted.  But  in  point  of  beauty  the  true  zebra  cer- 
tainly excels  the  "  Burchell."  They  are  very  different 
in  their  habits — the  zebra  being  a  mountain-dwelling 
animal,  while  the  dauw  is  strictly  a  denizen  of  the  open 
plains,  in  places  similar  to  those  frequented  by  thft 
juagga.  Although  it  never  herds  with  the  latter,  in 


136          A   BRUSH    WITH   THE   BRINDLED    GNOO. 

habits  it  resembles  their  species  more  than  it  does  th* 
zebra.  Observation  of  this  fact  by  the  boor  hunters  haa 
'ed  to  the  name  among  these  people  of  "  bonte  quagga," 
(painted  quagga.) 

The  third  kind  of  animals  upon  the  plain  was  a  very 
remarkable  species  ;  so  odd  in  form  and  movements 
were  they,  that  no  one  who  had  once  seen  either  them, 
or  a  picture  of  them,  could  afterwards  fail  to  recognize 
them.  The  young  yiigers  had  never  set  eyes  upon 
them  before,  but  they  had  all  seen  a  kindred  species, 
which,  except  in  color  and  a  few  minor  details,  is  very 
lik<<5  them.  They  had  all  seen  the  "  wildebeest "  or 
"  gnoo,"  and  this  enabled  them  at  once  to  recognize  the 
"  blaurv  'vildebeest,"  or  "  brindled  gnoo,"  for  such  they 
were. 

They  differ  from  the  common  wildebeest  in  being 
larger,  ^cmewhat  heavier  in  form,  scarcely  so  well 
shaped  about  the  head  and  neck — the  latter  not  curving 
as  in  the  coramon  species — more  shaggy  in  the  mane, 
the  nose-tuft,  and  the  long  hair  on  the  throat  and  breast. 
In  color  they  are  quite  different,  being  of  a  dirty  bluish 
tint,  variegated  with  irregular  stripes,  or  "brindles." 
Hence  their  tm  mf  names  of  "blauw"  wildebeest  ar;3 
"  brindled  "  gnoo. 

The  two  kinds,  *  gnoo "  and  "brindled  gnoo,"  are 
never  found  on  the  same  plains ;  but  give  place  to  each 
other.  The  range  of  the  latter  species  extends  farthest 
to  the  north.  They  are  scarcely  ever  found  alone,  but 
generally  accompanied  by  droves  of  the  dauw ;  (Bur- 
chell's  zebra  or  bonte  quagga ;)  and,  what  is  a  singular 
fact,  the  common  species  is  rartlj'  seen,  except  in  com- 
pany with  the  common  quagga*  A^hough  neither  of 


A    BUUSn    WITIT    TOE    BRINDLED    GNOO.          137 

these  keep  company  with  their  o\vn  congeners  they  yei 
live  socially  with  one  another,  both  also  herding  at 
Units  with  springboks,  hartebecsts,  and  ostriches.  A 
singular  and  interesting  sight  it  is  to  see  the  gnoos,  an- 
telopes, and  wild  asses,  curveting  and  galloping  over  the 
plain,  now  wheeling  in  circles,  now  halting  in  line,  anon 
charging  from  point  to  point,  like  troops  of  cavalry  in  a 
review,  while  the  ostriches  stalk  about  or  stand  motion- 
less, their  tall  forms  rising  high  above  the  rest,  aa  if 
they  were  the  officers  and  generals-in-chief  of  the  spec- 
tacle! Such  a  picture  is  often  presented  upon  the 
karoo  plains  of  Southern  Africa. 

As  soon  as  the  young  yagers  came  in  sight  of  the 
plain,  they  pulled  up  their  horses,  and  sat  for  some 
moments  regarding  the  lively  scene  that  was  exhibited 
upon  its  surface.  The  springboks  were  browsing, 
though  some  individuals  were  constantly  in  the  air 
bounding  up  as  if  for  their  own  amusement.  The 
dauws  were  trooping  about,  sometimes  halting,  and 
sometimes  galloping  from  point  to  point,  as  if  in  play  or 
alarmed  by  some  intruder.  The  brindled  gnoos,  that  is 
the  cows,  were  browsing  in  a  herd  of  thirty  or  forty  in 
number,  while  the  bulls  stood  around  in  small  groups 
of  three  or  four  individuals,  not  moving,  but  apparently 
keeping  a  solemn  watch  over  the  others,  every  now  and 
then  snorting  loudly,  and  uttering  a  sharp  and  peculiar 
cry,  as  if  intended  for  some  voice  of  warning  or  instruc- 
tion. For  hours  the  old  bulls  will  hold  this  position, 
keeping  apart  from  the  rest,  each  little  knot  of  them 
apparently  conversing  among  themselves,  while  acting 
as  sentries  to  the  general  herd  of  dauws,  antelopes,  auc" 
their  own  wives 


138          A    BRUSH    WITH    THE    BRINDLED    GXOO. 

After  a  few  minutes'  deliberation,  the  hunters  agreed 
to  make  their  attack  upon  the  herd  of  gnoos.  They 
formed  no  plan.  Stalking  would  be  of  little  use,  as 
they  believed  they  would  be  able  to  ride  down  the 
wildebeest,  and  get  a  running  shot ;  and  it  was  to  these 
they  designed  to  give  all  their  attention.  The  dauws— 
beautiful  creatures  as  they  were — were  of  no  use  as 
yame,  and  it  was  game  the  party  wanted.  The  spring- 
boks did  not  interest  them  ;  but  the  flesh  of  the  wilde- 
beest would  have  been  a  treat  to  all.  It  is  excellent 
eating,  resembling  beef  rather  than  venison — for  the 
gnoo  is  in  reality  more  of  an  ox  than  an  antelope. 

"Roast  beef  for  dinner!"  was  the  word  given  by 
Hendrik,  and  all  the  rest  echoing  this,  they  charged 
down  upon  the  wildebeest  herd. 

They  made  no  attempt  at  concealing  their  approach, 
but  dashed  directly  forward  upon  the  game,  the  buck- 
dogs — now  only  five  in  number — in  the  advance,  with 
llendrik's  favorite  heading. 

In  an  instant  the  herds  upon  the  plain  were  in  mo- 
tion— each  species  going  its  own  way.  The  dauws 
galloped  off  in  a  clump,  holding  a  straight  course  over 
the  plain  ;  the  springboks  scattering  in  every  direction. 
as  is  their  wont;  while  the  gnoos,  first  uniting  into  an 
irregular  drove,  ran  forward  some  distance  in  a  straight 
line,  and  then  some  broke  to  right  and  left,  wheeled 
round,  and  came  scouring  back  to  the  rear  of  the 
hunters ! 

In  a  few  minutes  the  whole  appearance  of  the  plain 
was  changed.  The  zebras  had  gone  out  of  sight,  so, 
too,  the  springboks.  The  gnoos  alone  remained  undd 
»he  view  of  the  hunters.  These  were  not  to  be  seeu  in 


A.   LRUSH    WITH    THE    BRIN'DLED    GNOO.          139 

*nj  particular  direction.  They  were  everywhere 
around — some  running  off  before  the  dogs — some  wheel 
oig  around  to  the  rear — some  galloping  past  within  two 
or  three  hundred  yards,  and  then  charging  forward  so 
uear  to  the  horses,  that  some  of  the  riders  thought  they 
meant  to  attack  them.  With  their  fierce  little  eyes, 
their  sharp  curving  horns,  and  black  shaggy  frontlets, 
they  appeared  most  formidable  enemies,  and  indeed 
they  are  so  when  disposed  to  make  an  attack. 

When  wounded  they  are  dangerous  even  to  a  mounted 
hunter,  but  one  a-foot  would  stand  little  chance  of  escape 
from  theii  frenzied  and  impetuous  charge.  One  of  the 
oddest  circumstances  observed  by  the  young  yagers 
was,  that  the  bulls,  instead  of  galloping  right  away,  lin- 
gered in  the  rear  of  the  retreating  herd, — now  wheeling 
round  to  gaze  upon  the  hunters,  snorting  as  they  stood 
— now  making  a  dash  forward  out  of  their  way,  and 
sometimes  two  of  them  facing  each  other,  and  engaging 
in  combat !  And  these  combats  did  not  appear  to  be 
u  shams."  On  the  contrary,  the  old  bulls  seemed  to 
butt  each  othei  in  good  earnest,  rushing  at  one  another 
from  a  distance,  dropping  upon  their  knees,  and  bring- 
ing their  heads  together,  till  their  horns,  and  the  thick 
bony  helmet-like  plates  that  covered  their  fronts,  cracked 
loudly  against  each  other. 

These  battles  appeared  to  be  real ;  but,  notwithstand- 
ing the  earnestness  of  the  combatants,  they  always  gave 
«p,  and  parted  from  the  ground  before  the  hunters  could 
jet  within  range. 

Notwithstanding  their  carelessness  about  running 
away  altogether,  it  was  not  so  easy  a  matter  to  get  a 
fair  shot  at  one ;  and  our  yagers  might  have  returned 


HO          A    BRUSH    WITH    THE    BRINDLED    GNOO. 

to  carnp  empty-handed  had  it  not  been  for  their  bm-k 
dogs.  These,  however,  chanced  to  stick  together,  and 
having  selected  an  old  bull,  soon  separated  him  from 
the  rest,  and  drove  him  at  full  speed  across  the  plain. 
Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  spurred  after,  and  all  the 
ethers  followed,  though  falling  to  the  rear  as  the  chase 
continued. 

Before  the  bull  had  gone  two  miles,  the  dogs  began 
to  pester  him,  and  finding  his  heels  failing  he  turned 
suddenly  upon  his  canine  pursuers,  rushing  at  one  and 
then  another,  as  they  came  up,  and  knocking  them  over 
with  his  horns. 

It  is  possible  he  would  have  bayed  all  five  success- 
fully ;  but  the  approach  of  th'e  hunters  caused  him 
fresh  alarm,  and  he  broke  bay,  and  once  more  stretched 
himself  at  full  speed  across  the  plain.  Another  mile 
would  have  brought  him  into  some  low  timber,  and  he 
appeared  to  make  for  that.  He  kept  ahead  of  the  dogs 
for  awhile  longer,  but  when  within  about  a  hundred 
yards  of  the  thicket,  his  wind  again  failed  him ;  and  as 
the  buck-dogs  were  taking  an  occasional  pull  at  his 
flanks,  he  became  desperate  and  once  more  stood  to 
bay. 

The  dogs  soon  ran  in,  but  for  awhile  he  was  able  to 
beat  off  all  five,  striking  then  right  and  left.  At  length 
some  of  them  seized  him  by  the  throat,  while  the  others 
clung  to  his  tail  and  hind-quarters,  and  the  struggle 
would  no  doubt  have  ended  soon  by  their  dragging  the 
bull  to  the  earth  ;  but  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  rode 
up  and  ended  it  sooner  by  sending  a  pair  of  b'ulloU 
dirngh  his  ribs. 


A    BATTLE    WITH    A    BORELfc.  14l 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A   BATTLE   WITH   A    BORIJ.6. 

HANS  and  Arend  on  this  occasion  had  followed  lue 
chase,  and  were  almost  "in  at  the  death;"  and  Klaus 
and  Jan,  who  from  the  openness  of  the  ground  had  had 
a  view  of  the  whole  run,  shortly  after  came  up,  spur- 
ring their  panting  ponies  to  the  very  top  of  their 
speed. 

All  six  now  dismounted  to  rest  both  themselves  and 
horse?  after  their  sharp  gallop,  and  also  to  skin  the  bull. 
Though  Arend  was  habitually  chef-de-cuisine,  Hendrik 
and  Groot  Willem  were  the  butchers ;  Hans,  "  the 
botanist  of  the  expedition,"  might  also  be  termed  its 
"  green-grocer,"  as  his  knowledge  of  botany  enabled 
him  to  keep  the  camp-table  supplied  with  many  species 
of  esculent  roots  and  vegetables  to  be  found  growing 
wild  upon  the  plains  of  Southern  Africa. 

While  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  were  flaying  oti 
tl.e  skin,  Hans  and  Arend  were  busy  with  the  head  and 
horns,  preparing  them  for  preservation.  It  was  nearly 
as  much  on  account  of  these  as  for  his  meat  that  they 
had  hunted  the  gnoo.  They  would  also  be  trophies  in 
the  halls  of  the  Graaf  Reinet ;  for  although  the  horns 
of  the  common  gnoo  are  easily  had,  those  of  the  brindled 


1  ii,  A    BATTLE    WITH    A 


species  are  more  precious,  for  the  rca-on  that  the  ia£tof 
animal  inhabits  a  more  remote  part  of  the  country. 

Klaas  and  Jan  acted  as  assistants  to  the  other  four—- 
now handing  a  knife,  now  holding  a  limh  or  flap  of 
skin,  and  making  themselves  "generally  useful."  All 
six,  therefore,  were  engaged. 

While  thus  employed,  all  of  them  bending  and  stoop- 
ing, one  waj  or  another,  over  the  dead  bull,  and  none 
of  them  keeping  a  look-out,  a  queer  sound  fell  upon 
their  ears  that  caused  them  to  start  all  together  into  an 
erect  attitude.  The  sound  they  had  heard  was  a  loud 
snort,  followed  by  a  blowing  noise,  somewhat  similar  to 
that  made  by  terrified  swine,  but  much  fuller  and 
louder.  There  was,  also,  the  noise  of  snapping  twigs 
and  breaking  branches. 

These  sounds  caused  all  six  to  start,  and  some  of 
them  to  tremble  with  fear;  and  the  sight  that  came 
under  their  eyes  as  they  looked  up  confirmed  them 
in  that  emotion.  In  truth,  it  was  a  sight  that  would 
have  inspired  with  alarm  older  hearts  than  theirs. 

Breaking  through  the  bushes,  and  causing  the 
branches  to  bend  and  crackle,  came  a  large  animal. 
The  tall  upright  horn  upon  its  snout,  its  huge  heavy 
body,  and  strong  massive  limbs,  left  them  no  room  to 
doubt  what  sort  of  animal  it  was.  It  was  a  rhinoceros  ! 

There  are  four  species  of   these   in   South  Africa 
but  the  dark    color  of   its  skin  and  the  double  horr 
proclaimed  the  one  now  seen  to  be  the  black  rhinoceros. 
or  "  borele  "  —  the  fiercp  'A  and  most  dangerous  of  thf 
four. 

When  the  boys  first  heard  it,  it  was  crashing  through 
the  bushes  close  to  the  edge  of  the  thicket,  but  they  had 


A  BATTLE  WITH  A  HOKELE.          143 

atnrce  turned  their  eyes  in  that  direction  before  it  shot 
out  of  the  timber,  head  towards  them,  and  came  on  at 
full  gallop.  Its  head  was  raised  high  in  air,  its  ears 
were  in  motion,  and  its  small  but  saucy-looking  tail  waa 
flirted  about  in  a  confident  manner.  Its  black  eye? 
glaamed  with  a  malicious  expression,  and  its  air  was 
oue  of  anger  and  menace.  The  terror  inspired  by  its 
look  was  not  lessened  by  the  loui  snorting  and  blowing 
that  issued  from  its  fiery  nostrils. 

The  boys  saw  at  once,  and  to  \heir  alarm,  that  i» 
was  charging  upon  them!  There  could  be  no  doubt 
about  the  matter.  Its  whole  appearance  denoted  that 
it  was  bent  upon  attacking  them,  for  it  was  heading 
directly  for  the  spot  where  they  stood.  They  knew, 
moreover,  that  there  was  nothing  odd  in  that, — they 
knew  that  the  black  rhinoceros  will  charge  upon  any 
creature,  whether  man,  quadruped,  bird,  or  bush,  with- 
out the  slightest  provocation ! 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  boys  were  in  a  dilemma, 
and  were  aware  of  it  as  well.  There  were  they,  all 
six  a-foot  upon  the  plain,  with  a  fierce  borele"  rushing 
up  to  them,  and  at  less  than  a  hundred  yards  dis- 
tance ! 

Fortunately  for  them  the  steeds  were  all  well  trained, 
and  fortunately  the  riders  had  had  the  precaution  to 
fasten  them  in  such  a  manner  that  it  required  but  little 
time  to  get  them  free.  But  for  these  two  circumstance* 
some  one  of  the  six  must  certainly  have  been  lifted 
upon  the  death-dealing  horn  of  the  borele". 

As  i*.  was  the  horses  had  been  tied  all  around  a  tree 
th&t  stood  near.  Each  had  his  bridle  looped  to  a  small 
branch,  so  small  that  it  could  be  wrenched  orT  in  a 


144  A.   BATTLE    WITH    A    BORELfi. 

second  of  time,  but  large  enough  to  keep  a  horse  steadj 
for  awhile,  unless  something  should  alarm  and  startla 
him.  This  was  a  precaution  the  hunters  had  been 
taught  by  their  fathers,  and  the  knowledge  now  stood 
them  in  stead. 

Of  course  the  moment  the  borele  "hove"  insight, 
there  was  an  end  to  the  skinning  of  the  gnoo.  There 
was  a  chorus  of  cri^s  expressing  terror,  a  flinging  away 
of  knives,  a  sudden  rush  to  the  horses,  a  seizing  of 
bridles,  a  snapping  off  of  branches,  and  a  simultaneous 
leaping  into  six  saddles.  All  these  acts  did  not  take 
ten  seconds  of  time  to  accomplish,  and  the  last  of  them 
was  not  accomplished  one  second  too  soon  ;  for  the 
riders  had  just  time  to  turn  the  heads  of  their  horses  to 
the  plain  as  the  borele  came  up.  In  fact,  so  close  to 
them  had  he  got  his  hideous  snout  that  several  of  the 
horses  shied  and  plunged  as  they  took  to  flight,  nearly 
dismounting  one  or  two  of  the  riders.  To  have  been 
unhorsed  at  that  moment  would  have  been  a  perilous 
business.  * 

All  kept  their  seats,  however,  and  in  a  moment  more 
were  flying  over  the  plain  in  a  close  clump,  the  horde* 
snorting  at  their  heels. 

Now  that  they  were  in  their  saddles,  and  galloped 
freely  off,  some  of  the  yagers  were  disposed  to  laugh. 
Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  were  among  the  number. 
They  knew  that  the  speed  of  a  rhinoceros  is  no  match 
for  that  of  a  horse,  and  they  would  soon  get  out  of  his 
way.  They  were  disposed  to  regard  the  chase  as  a  bit 
of  fun  rather  than  otherwise.  All  at  once,  however,  a 
thought  came  into  their  minds  that  turned  their  merry 
mood  intc  a  feeling  of  new  and  painful  apprehension. 


A    BATTLE    WITH    A.    BORKI.fe.  145 

The  young  yagers  were  riding  in  pairs.  Hendrik 
ur.d  Groot  Willeni,  mounted  on  their  swift  horses,  had 
forged  some  distance  ahead  of  the  others.  On  turning 
their  faces  backward  they  perceived  that  the  two  boys, 
Klaus  and  Jan,  had  fallen  considerably  to  the  rear,  and 
ihat  the  borete  was  pushing  them  closely.  He  was  not 
twenty  yards  behind  either,  for  they  rode  side  by  side, 
as  if  in  a  rac»«ig  gallop.  Hans  and  Arend  were  further 
in  advance,  j»*\d  these  also  looking  back  at  the  same 
instant  perceived  the  perilous  situation  of  their  younger 
brothers. 

To  all  four  the  idea  seemed  to  occur  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, that  tb  -ugh  a  horse  can  outrun  the  rhinoceros,  a 
pony  cannot,  ind  the  thought  drew  from  them  a  simul- 
taneous exfvo.ssion  of  alarm.  Beyond  a  doubt  Klaaa 
and  Jan  we/-e  in  danger.  Should  the  borele*  overtake 
them,  their  ponies  would  not  save  them.  The  huge 
brute  wo'jJd  gore  these  animals  to  death,  or  impale 
them  at  *h<».  first  stroke  of  his  stout  sharp  horn.  Beyond 
a  doubt  **xe  boys  were  in  danger ! 

So  thought  their  four  brothers  as  they  glanced  back  ; 
and,  as  *hey  continued  to  gaze,  they  became  the  more 
convin^d  of  this  fearful  truth.  They  saw  that  the 
distan'-*  between  them  and  the  rhinoceros,  instead  of 
wider  *«g,  was  gradually  growing  less — the  borele  was 
gaini"*;  upon  them ! 

It  was  a  moment  of  painful  apprehension  with  all 
four  but  at  this  moment  Hendrik  performed  one  of 
thf  «eatest  manoeuvres  that  had  occurred  during  the 
w^o^e  expedition.  With  a  wrench  upon  his  bridle  he 
t'Tned  suddenly  out  of  his  course,  and  then  wheeling 
•">>ind  rodj  backward,  calling  on  Groot  Willem  to 
7 


146  A    BATTLE    WITH    A    BOREl.E. 

act  similarly,  but  with  his  head  turned  to  the  opposite 
side. 

Groot  Willem,  as  if  by  instinct,  obeyed,  and,  diverg- 
ing suddenly  from  each  other,  the  two  wheeled  right 
and  left  at  t  le  same  instant.  Their  horses'  heads  wert 
now  turisd  x»  the  rear,  and  after  going  a  pace  or  (w* 
they  halted  and  got  their  guns  in  readiness. 

First  Hans  and  Arend  swept  past  between  the  two 
halted  hunters, — then  passed  Klaas  and  Jan  upon  the 
frightened  ponies,  and  then  came  "  boreleY' 

Before  the  last  had  got  fairly  on  a  line,  Hendrik  and 
Groot  Willem  covered  his  huge  body,  fired,  and  then 
galloping  round  to  his  rear  commenced  reloading. 

Both  balls  took  effect,  and,  though  neither  brought 
the  brute  to  the  ground,  they  made  a  decided  alteration 
in  his  pace,  and  in  a  moment  it  was  perceived  that  he 
was  running  slower,  while  the  blood  flowed  freely  from 
his  wounds.  He  still,  however,  kept  on  after  the 
ponies ;  and  it  is  hard  to  say  how  far  he  might  have 
followed  them,  had  it  not  been  that  Hans  and  Arend, 
exactly  imitating  the  manoauvre  of  Hendrik  and  Groot 
Willem,  new  also  wheeled  right  and  left,  came  back  a 
pace  or  two,  halted,  and  delivered  their  pieces  in  the 
face  of  the  rhinoceros. 

Again  the  bullets  took  effect,  and  again  did  not  prove 
fatal.  But  the  danger,  as  far  as  Klaas  and  Jan  were 
concerned,  was  over;  for  the  borele*,  instead  of  pur- 
suing the  ponies  further,  turned  short  on  his  nearer 
antagonists,  and  rushed  first  upon  one,  then  the  other, 
with  ah1  the  strength  and  fury  that  was  left  in  his 
body. 

Several  charges  were  made  by  him  without  effect,  aa 


A    BATTLE    WITH    A    BOKKLfc.  1  '  1 

the  riders,  now  faced  toward?  him,  were  able  to  spring 
to  one  side  and  gallop  out  of  his  way. 

For  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  battle  was  kept 
up,  the  four  loading  and  firing  as  fast  as  they  could 
under  the  circumstances. 

At  length  the  day  was  decided  by  a  bullet  from  the 
big  elephant  gun  of  Groot  Willem,  which,  penetrating 
the  skull  of  the  huge  borele,  sent  him  rolling  over  in 
the  dust. 

Aloud  "hurrah!"  proclaimed  the  victory,  and  the 
six  yagers  now  rode  up  and  alighted  by  the  huge  body 
of  the  borele,  that,  prostrate  and  lifeless,  no  longei 
caused  them  alarm. 

An  axe  was  obtained  from  the  wagon,  and  his  long 
anterior  horn — a  splendid  trophy — was  hacked  off  from 
his  snout,  and  carried  away  ;  while  another  journey  was 
made  for  the  meat  and  horns  of  tne  blau>v- wildebeest, 
which  were  packed  behind  the  Immers  upon  the  croups 
of  their  Lorses,  and  brought  safeiy  into  camp. 


118  THE    INTERRUPTED    BREAKFAST. 


CHAPTER  XXIL 

THE  INTERRUPTED  BREAKFAST. 

NEXT  morning  the  young  yagers  slept  late — because 
they  had  nothing  particular  to  do.  They  did  not  pur 
pose  continuing  their  journey  before  the  following  morn- 
ing; and  on  that  day  they  intended  to  lie  up,  so  tha*. 
their  horses  might  rest  and  be  fresh  for  the  road. 

They  rose,  therefore,  a  little  later  than  usual,  and 
breakfasted  on  the  tongue  of  the  brindled  gnoo,  with 
hot  coffee  and  hard  bread ;  a  stock  of  which  they  had 
brought  along  in  their  wagons,  and  which  still  held  out 

It  would  not  have  been  as  great  a  deprivation  to  the 
young  yagers  to  have  gone  without  bread,  as  it  would  tc 
you,  boy  reader.  There  live  many  people  in  South  Africa 
to  whom  bread  is  a  luxury  almost  unknown.  Many 
tribes  of  the  native  people  never  eat  such  a  thing,  and 
thcic  are  thousands  of  the  frontier  Dutch  colonists,  that 
do  without  it  altogether.  The  people  of  South  Africa, 
both  native  and  colonial,  are  not  an  agricultural  but  a 
pastoral  people,  and  therefore  pay  but  little  attention  to 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  Their  herds  of  horned 
catlle,  their  horses,  their  flocks  of  big-tailed  sheep  and 
goats,  engross  all  their  time,  and  agricultural  farming 
is  not  fo  their  taste.  Although  the  wealthier  among 


THE    INTERRUPTED    BREAKFAST.  149 

the  boors  plant  a  few  acres  of  Kaffir  corn — a  variety  of 
the  "  Indian  corn,"  or  maize — and  sow  some  bushels  of 
•*  buckwheat,"  yet  this  is  principally  for  their  own  use. 
This  class  also  cultivate  many  kinds  of  vegetables  in 
their  gardens,  and  have  large  orchards  containing 
apples,  peaches,  pomegranates,  pears,  and  quinces,  with 
vineyards  for  the  grape,  and  enclosures  for  melons, 
cucumbers,  and  pumpkins.  But  among  the  poorer 
classes,  and  particularly  on  the  remote  frontier,  such 
things  are  hardly  thought  of ;  and  their  cattle  kraals 
are  the  only  enclosures  around  the  dwelling  of  the 
"  vee-boor,"  or  stock -farmer.  Among  these  people, 
bread  is  a  rarity,  and  their  staple  food  is  "  biltong,"  and 
fresh  beef,  or  mutton  cooked  in  a  variety  of  ways,  and 
so  as  to  be  quite  palatable — for  the  cuisine  of  the  boor 
is  by  no  means  to  be  despised. 

In  many  parts  the  staple  food  of  the  frontier  boor  is 
venison — that  is,  in  districts  where  the  ordinary  game 
has  not  yet  been  exterminated.  Within  the  frontier 
districts,  springboks  are  plenty,  as  also  the  common 
wildebeests ;  and  piles  of  the  horns  of  these  may  be 
seen  lying  around  the  kraals  of  every  vee-boor.  The 
flesh  of  the  wildebeests,  as  already  stated,  is  more  like 
beef  than  venison,  and  when  fat,  or  cooked  in  the 
delicious  fat  of  the  great  sheep's  tails,  is  excellent 
eating. 

The  quagga,  which  is  also  common  in  these  parts,  is 
killed  for  its  flesh ;  but  this  is  rank  and  oily,  and  only 
eaten  by  the  Hottentot  servants. 

Our  young  yagers  were  the  children  of  wealthy 
parents,  and  had  therefore  learnt  to  eat  bread,  though 
on  a  pinch  they  co'ild  havi1  got  along  without  it.  But 


150        THE  INTERRUPTED  BRKAKFAST 

they  had  brought  several  sacks  of  biscuit  with  them 
and  with  these  and  coffee,  and  the  tongue  of  the  blauw 
wildebeest,  they  were  making  a  hearty  breakfast. 

They  were  all  right  merry,  chatting  over  their  ad 
venture  with  the  borele,  and  laughing  at  the  danger 
now  that  it  was  past. 

They  were  taking  their  time  with  their  breakfast, 
eating  it  leisurely  and  in  no  hurry,  as  they  meant  to 
spend  the  day  in  a  sort  of  dolce  far  niente  manner — 
loitering  about  the  camp,  or  perhaps  putting  in  a  stitch 
wherever  there  should  be  a  weak  place  in  either  saddle 
or  bridle,  so  as  to  make  themselves  thoroughly  ready 
for  the  route.  Every  precaution  would  be  required  to 
ensure  their  safety  against  the  wide  stretch  of  desert 
they  would  have  to  cross. 

While  in  this  mood,  and  about  half  through  with 
their  meal,  an  announcement  was  made  that  was  likely 
to  upset  all  their  plan?  for  the  day.  The  announcement 
came  from  Congo,  who  had  been  loitering  out  on  the 
desert  side  of  the  mokhala  grove,  and  who  came  run- 
ning into  camp,  in  breathless  haste,  to  report  that  a 
large  flock  of  ostriches  were  out  upon  the  plain  ! 

The  yagers,  but  particularly  Klaas  and  Jan,  bristled 
up  at  the  news,  uttering  various  exclamations  of  joy. 
A  sudden  change  took  place  in  their  manner.  Their 
jaws  wagged  more  rapidly ;  the  gnoo-tongue  disap- 
peared in  larger  slices ;  the  coffee  was  quaffed  in  big 
hurried  gulps ;  and  the  second  half  of  their  meal  did 
not  occupy  the  tenth  part  of  the  time  that  had  been 
taken  up  with  the  first. 

In  less  than  two  minutes  from  the  time  Congo  made 
bis  report  the  breakfast  was  finished  ;  and  in  five 


THE    INTERRUPTED    BREAKFAST  151 

ruin  utes  more  the  horses  were  all  saddled,  I  ridled,  and 
mounted.  Resting  the  animals  was  no  longer  thought 
of.  Everything  had  gone  out  of  the  heads  of  their 
liders  except  an  ostrich  "surround." 

Where  was  Swartboy  to  lake  part  in  the  affair,  and 
to  give  his  advice  ?  All  acknowledged  that  the  Bush- 
man  knew  more  about  hunting  the  ostrich  than  any  oi' 
them — Congo  not  excepted.  Indeed,  this  was  true  in 
regard  to  most  kinds  of  desert  animals,  as  also  of  the 
smaller  mammalia  and  birds.  Congo  had  lived  all  hig 
life  among  a  people  who  keep  cattle — for  the  Kaffir 
nations  are  not  mere  hunters,  but  a  pastoral  people — 
and  although  he  knew  how  to  destroy  the  lion,  the 
leopard,  the  hyena,  and  other  carnivorous  creatures, 
he  was  less  accustomed  to  the  killing  or  capturing  of 
game,  since  the  vast  herds  of  cattle  bred  and  reared  in 
his  country  render  such  knowledge  but  of  secondary 
importance.  Not  so  with  Swartboy.  The  Bushmen 
have  no  cattle,  except  those  which  at  times  they  steal 
from  their  neighbors,  the  Griquas,  Bastaards,  and 
trek-boors  ;  and  these  are  never  kept,  but  killed  and 
devoured  as  soon  as  they  are  driven  to  the  Bushmen 
haunts.  The  want  of  domestic  animals,  therefore, 
witn  the  necessity  of  having  something  to  eat,  compels 
the  Bushman  to  use  all  his  ingenuity  in  the  captur- 
ing or  killing  of  wild  game,  which  among  Bushmen 
includes  every  living  creature  from  the  locust  and 
lizard  to  the  camelopard  and  elephant ! 

The  natural  consequence  of  such  a  life  must  be  the 
arriving  at  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  haunts,  habits, 
and  mode  of  hunting  the  wild  creatures  that  people 
their  country;  and  in  this  very  knowledge  Swartboj 


152  THE    INTERRUPTED    BREAKFAST. 

was  believed  to  excel  even  among  his  countrymen,  foi 
it  was  known  that  in  his  own  land  he  had  been  con- 
sidered a  "  mighty  hunter." 

Where  was  Swartboy  at  that  moment  ?  He  had  not 
been  seen  for  an  hour  or  more.  Conge  said  that  he 
had  driven  off  the  oxen  to  pasture  upon  the  grass  plain 
to  the  rear  of  the  camp,  and  no  doubt  he  was  there 
herding  them. 

It  was  proposed  mat  some  one  should  go  for  him,  but 
this  was  objected  to  on  account  of  the  loss  of  time. 
Congo  said  that  the  oxen  were  a  good  way  off.  It 
would  take  half-an-hour  to  bring  Swartboy  into  camp, 
and  before  the  end  of  that  period  the  ostriches  might 
be  ten  miles  off. 

No  ;  they  could  not  wait  for  Swartboy.  They  must 
proceed  without  him  ;  and,  mounting  their  horsey  tb« 
yage^"  rode  off  towards  the  desert  plain. 


THE    OSTRICH    "SURROUND."  153 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    OSTRICH    "  SURROUND." 

ON  reaching  the  edge  of  the  grove  they  halted  U 
reconnoitre,  still  keeping  under  cover  of  the  timber 
Congo  had  reported  truly.  There  was  a  flock  of  os- 
triches, sure  enough.  There  were  seven  of  these  great 
birds  in  one  "  clump,"  and  an  eighth  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  rest.  Of  the  seven,  five  appeared  to  be  hens 
and  two  of  them  cocks.  The  one  apart  was  also  a  cock. 
I  say  appeared  to  be.  You  will  imagine  there  could  De 
no  doubt,  since  the  male  and  female  of  these  birds  are 
so  very  unlike  in  the  color  of  their  plumage.  That  is 
true  when  they  have  attained  to  a  certain  age ;  but  the 
young  males,  even  when  full-grown,  do  not  g«t  the 
beautiful  white  feathers  all  at  once,  and  foi  a  long  time 
can  hardly  at  a  distance  be  distinguished  from  the 
females. 

That,  however,  was  not  the  reason  why  the  young 
yagers  were  in  doubt  about  their  sex.  It  was  because  the 
birds  were  in  a  position  nearly  due  east  from  the  point 
of  observation,  and  the  sun  being  yet  only  a  few  degrees 
above  the  horizon,  his  rays  fell  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
prevent  them  from  having  a  clear  view.  To  use  a  com- 
mon phrase,  the  sun  was  "  in  their  eyes.' 
7* 


154  THE    OSTRICH    "SURROUND." 

For  all  that,  they  could  count  the  ostriches,  and  be« 
lieved  that  of  the  eight  three  were  cocks  and  the  res! 
hens. 

The  seven  in  the  "  clump  "  were  stationary ;  that  is, 
they  were  not  moving  away  from  the  spot.  Some  weie 
stalking  leisurely  about,  occasionally  taking  a  "  peck  ;* 
and  it  must  have  been  sand  or  pebbles  they  were  eat- 
ing, as  there  was  not  the  semblance  of  vegetation  near 
the  spot.  Some  sat  squatted  upon  their  "  hams,"  their 
long  legs  doubled  underneath  ;  and  one  or  two  were 
lying  along  the  ground,  and  fluttering  in  the  sand,  just 
as  common  hens  and  turkeys  do  in  warm  weather.  The 
dust  raised  by  these  formed  a  little  cloud  that  floated 
around  them,  and  added  to  the  difficulty  of  distinguish- 
ing either  their  sex  or  their  movements.  The  seven 
were  at  no  great  distance  from  the  edge  of  the  mokhala 
grove,  and  the  one  that  was  separate  was  still  nearer. 
He  was  going  towards  them,  stooping  his  head  at  inter- 
vals, and  feeding  as  he  went.  From  this  circumstaj-uw, 
the  boys  conjectured  that  he  had  been  much  nearer 
which  conjecture  was  strengthened  by  Congo,  who  said, 
that  when  he  had  first  observed  them,  this  old  cock  was 
not  two  hundred  yards  from  the  edge  of  the  timber,  and 
was  then  going  out,  just  as  now. 

Perhaps  he  had  been  within  shot  of  the  cover.  What 
a  pity,  thought  Klaas  and  Jan,  they  had  not  been  earlier 
on  the  look-out ' 

The  hunters  did  not  waste  many  moments  in  watch- 
ing the  manreuvres  of  the  birds.  Their  attention  wag 
entirely  given  to  their  purpose  of  surrounding  them,  and 
discussing  a  plan  to  etfect  that  object, 

Now  these  ostriches  were  not  near  the  nest  which 


THE    OSTUICH    "SURROUND."  15.1 

had  been  plundered,  and  was  now  deserted  ;  nor  was  it 
likely  that  they  were  of  the  family  to  whom  that  nest 
belonged — not  even  relatives  in  fact — else  they  would 
have  heard  of  the  calamity,  and  Aould  have  been  com- 
porting themselves  in  a  very  different  manner  from  the 
easy  style  in  which  they  were  taking  it.  None  of  tbe 
five  hens  could  be  they  that,  but  two  days  before,  had 
witnessed  the  fall  of  their  plumed  lord  by  the  Bush- 
man's arrow,  for  it  was  not  likely  that  these  would  re- 
turn to  that  part  of  the  country.  The  flock  now  seen 
had  no  connection  whatever  with  the  nest.  The  place 
they  were  in  was  at  a  good  distance  from  the  scene  of 
the  late  tragedy. 

The  young  yagers  were  glad  of  this ;  not  that  they 
cared  about  the  matter  of  relationship,  but  because  the 
place  where  the  birds  were  now  seen  offered  superior 
advantages  for  a  "surround."  It  was  a  sort  of  large 
bay,  where  a  spur  of  the  desert  plain  ran  into  the  tim- 
ber, and  was  more  than  half  encircled  by  low  woods  and 
thickets  of  acacia.  Only  one  side — that  toward  the 
wide  desert — was  open.  On  all  other  sides  there  was 
cover  for  the  hunters. 

On  this  account  the  latter  had  very  little  difficulty  in 
deciding  how  to  act,  and  in  a  few  minutes  their  plan  was 
arranged. 

Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem,  being  the  best  mounted, 
were  to  ride  to  the  two  most  distant  points,  one  of  them 
inking  the  right  side  of  the  great  bay,  the  other  the  left. 
They  were  to  keep  under  cover  of  the  thicket  all  tho 
way  round;  and  when  either  arrived  at  the  point  where 
the  timber  stretched  farthest  out  upon  the  plain,  he  was 
to  stop  awhile,  until  the  other  showed  himself  on  the 


150  THE    OSTRICH   "SURROUND." 

apposite  side.  Both  were  then  to  gallop  to  vaids  each 
other,  but  not  to  meet.  They  were  to  halt  at  such  a 
distance  from  one  another  as  would  best  enable  them  to 
cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  ostriches  from  the  outer  plain. 

Hans  and  Arend  were  respectively  to  follow  in  the 
tracks  of  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willein  ;  but  they  were  to 
halt  within  the  edge  of  the  timber  when  half  round,  and 
wait  until  they  should  see  the  others  out  upon  the  plain. 
Then  they  were  to  show  themselves,  and  turn  the  os- 
triches, should  they  run  their  way. 

Klaas  and  little  Jan  were  also  to  separate  and  ride 
some  distance  from  the  spot ;  but  the  disposal  of  these 
boys  in  their  places  was  taken  in  hand  by  the  ethers ; 
and  so  the  whole  party  started  at  the  same  time,  three 
filing  off  to  the  right,  and  three  to  the  left.  Congo's  in- 
structions were,  not  to  show  himself  until  he  should  per- 
ceive Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  galloping  towards  each 
other.  He  was  then  to  act  just  as  the  others,  except 
that  "  shanks' -mare  "  was  to  be  his  horse. 

Should  the  ostriches  allow  time  for  Hendrik  and  Groot 
Willem  to  get  to  their  stations,  the  surround  would  be 
complete ;  and  it  was  highly  probable  that  they  would 
have  good  sport,  and  either  capture  or  kill  some  of  the 
giant  birds.  When  thus  assailed  upon  all  sides,  the 
ostrich  gets  confused,  and  acts  in  the  most  stupid  man 
ner,  being  easily  turned,  and  driven  about  from  "  post 
to  pillar." 

It  was  a  question  of  time,  therefore,  and  it  would  take 
a  good  while  for  the  surround  to  be  made,  as  the  plain 
on  which  the  birds  were  was  full  three  miles  wide.  Both 
Hendrik  and  Groot  Willein  would  have  twice  thai 
length  to  ride  ;  and  their  path  lying  through  bushes, 
they  would  be  unable  to  move  faster  than  a  walk. 


THE    OSTRICH    "  SURROUND."  157 

For  some  time  the  only  one  that  watched  the  move- 
ments of  the  ostriches  was  the  Kaffir.  The  others  were 
making  their  way  through  the  thicket,  and  only  had  a 
peep  now  and  then,  as  they  passed  some  place  where  an 
opening  in  the  leaves  allowed  them.  They  were  too 
smxious,  however,  to  get  to  their  dilFerent  stands  to  stop 
at  any  place  between.  All  felt  that  time  was  precious  ; 
for  should  the  game  take  alarm,  and  start  off  to  the  open 
plain,  the  trouble  they  were  taking  would  be  all  in  vain. 
None  of  them,  therefore,  thought  of  looking  at  the  birds 
—Kmly  to  satisfy  themselves  that  they  were  still  there 
—until  they  had  reached  their  respective  places. 


158  THE    ODD    COCK. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE    ODD    COOK. 

DUIUNG  all  this  time  Congo  watched  the  movements 
of  the  flock  as  well  as  the  sun  in  his  eyes  would  allow 
him. 

He  noticed  that  the  cock  that  had  been  feeding  apart 
from  the  rest  had  now  got  close  up  to  them, — within  a 
few  yards  ;  but  that  the  others  had  arisen  at  his  ap- 
proach, and,  stretching  out  their  long  necks,  appeared  to 
regard  him  as  a  stranger.  After  a  moment  all  seven 
turned,  as  if  alarmed  at  something,  and  ran  away — the 
odd  cock  running  after,  though  falling  a  little  in  the  rear. 

The  flock  only  went  for  twenty  yards  or  so,  and  then 
halted,  as  if  they  had  got  over  their  slight  alarm. 

The  old  cock  again  stalked  slowly  up,  now  and  then 
dropping  his  head  to  the  ground,  and  pecking  up  a  grain 
or  two  of  something  on  his  way. 

When  he  got  close  to  the  flock  a  second  time,  they 
seemed  to  take  fresh  alarm,  ran  twenty  yards  farther, 
and  again  stopped. 

It  appeared  as  if  the  old  cock  was  a  stranger  to  the 
rest,  and  that  they  considered  his  presence  an  intrusion ! 

Again  he  approached  them,  and  again  they  made  a 
short  run ;  this  time  not  in  a  direct  line,  but  in  a  circle 


THE    ODD    COCK.  15$ 

around  him,  so  that  they  came  back  nearly  to  their 
original  ground.  This  time,  however,  only  the  five  hens 
ran  off.  Both  the  cocks  remained  near  the  spot ;  but 
the  movements  of  these  now  puzzled  Congo  not  a  little. 

One  of  them  had  squatted  down,  just  as  they  had 
been  first  observed,  whilo  the  other  ran  about  in  very 
•mall  circles,  occasionally  fluttering  his  white  plumea, 
and  acting  altogether  like  a  drunken  man ! 

After  a  few  minutes  the  manoeuvres  of  all  appeared 
to  change.  The  one  that  had  seated  himself  appeared  to 
lie  down  and  remain  quiet,  while  he  that  had  the  "  stag- 
gers" squatted  down  not  far  off;  and  presently  a  hen 
came  running  up  and  sat  down  beside  him  ;  so  that  now 
there  remained  upon  their  feet  only  one  cock  and  four 
of  the  hens. 

The  whole  scene  puzzled  Congo,  who  was  not  from 
an  ostrich  country,  and  was  but  indifferently  acquainted 
with  the  habits  of  these  birds.  No  doubt,  thought  he, 
the  creatures  were  about  some  game  of  their  own,  such 
as  he  had  often  seen  with  the  "  kooran  "  and  partridges. 

There  were  others  than  Congo  puzzled  at  what  was 
passing  among  the  ostriches. 

Klaas  and  Jan,  who  had  reached  their  stations  sooner 
than  the  rest,  and  who  had  been  observing  the  odd 
actions  of  the  birds,  were  both  puzzled  as  to  what  they 
were  about ;  and  a  little  later  Hans  and  Arend  had  a 
surprise,  and  were  equally  at  a  loss  what  to  think  cf  tho 
game  of  "fits  and  starts  "  that  was  going  on  upon  tho 
plain. 

But  Hans  and  Arend  had  not  much  time  to  observe 
They  had  both  gone  far  round,  and  they  expected  soon 
to  see  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  gallop  out  from  the 
umber,  so  they  kept  their  eyes  in  that  direction. 


160  THE    ODD    COCK. 

They  were  not  disappointed.  A  few  minutes  afte? 
both  were  seen  to  shoot  forth  at  full  speed,  and  ride  in 
diverging  lines,  so  as  to  approach  each  other,  and  at  the 
same  .ime  get  nearer  to  the  ostriches. 

As  soon  as  the  others  saw  them,  the  whole  five, 
Congo  included,  showed  themselves  on  the  open  ground, 
all  making  towards  a  common  centre — the  spot  when; 
the  ostriches  were. 

The  hunters  were  now  more  surprised  than  ever. 
As  they  rode  forward,  they  perceived  that  several  of  the 
great  birds  were  seated,  or  lying  upon  the  ground. 
They  were  backing,  no  doubt ;  but,  for  birds  so  wary, 
why  did  they  not  spring  up  and  take  to  flight  ?  They 
must  already  have  perceived  the  approach  of  the  horses 
or  heard  the  sound  of  their  trampling  hoofs?  Only  two 
of  the  hens  appeared  at  all  alarmed ;  and  these  ran  in 
l.he  direction  of  the  outer  plain,  but  turned  when  they 
saw  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem.  Only  one  other  waa 
upon  its  feet ;  and  that  was  the  old  cock  that  had  kept 
apart  ?  He  was  still  standing  erect,  but  did  not  attempt 
to  fly !  It  was  very  odd. 

This  old  cock  chanced  to  be  nearest  to  Hendrik  and 
Groot  Willem ;  and  going,  as  they  were,  at  race-horse 
ppeed,  they  were  scarce  a  minute  in  riding  down  upon 
him. 

They  had  got  within  less  than  five  hundred  yards 
And,  with  guns  ready,  were  resolved  to  give  him  a  tail-on 
end  chase,  and  try  a  flying  shot,  when,  to  their  tremen- 
dous surprise,  a  loud  and  terrified  yell  came  from  the 
bird,  and  the  next  moment  his  skin  flew  from  his  shoul- 
ders, discovering,  not  a  naked  ostrich,  but  a  naked 
Bushman,  with  his  legs  chalked  white  to  the  very  hips) 
That  Btuhman  was  SwartboyJ 


THK    ODD    COCK.  l£l 

It  was,  indeed,  old  Swart  dressed  up  in  the  skin  of 
the  old  cock  he  had  .'atelj  shot  with  his  poisoned  arrow 
and  it  was  that  same  arrow,  or  half-a-dozen  like  it,  that 
had  been  causing  the  mysterious  movements  among  the 
ostriches.  Five  of  them  already  lay  around  dead  or 
dying;  while  the  two  hens,  that  had  not  yet  received 
their  billet,  during  the  surprise  consequent  on  Swartboj 
revealing  himself,  had  managed  to  escape. 

Fortunately  for  Swartboy  he  "sung  out"  at  the  mo- 
ment he  did.  Another  half  minute,  and  he  would 
have  fared  no  better  than  his  own  victims  the  ostriches. 
He  acknowledged  that  he  had  been  badly  "  scared."  In 
looking  after  the  ostriches,  he  had  never  thought  of 
looking  for  any  thing  else ;  and  from  the  manner  in 
which  his  eyes  were  placed  under  the  feathers,  he  could 
not  see  very  well  around.  His  ears,  too,  "  muffled  "  up 
as  they  were  within  the  skin  of  the  old  cock,  were  of 
little  service  to  him ;  so  that  it  was  by  mere  accident 
he  saw  the  horsemen  galloping  down  upon  him.  Even 
then  it  cost  an  effort  to  "  cast "  his  skin,  and  appear  in 
propria  persona  ! 

Now,  when  the  young  yagers  thought  of  the  curious 
incident  that  had  just  taken  place,  and  then  looked  at 
the  naked  body  of  Swartboy,  chalked  white  from  hip 
*o  heel,  the  whole  six  sat  in  their  saddles  and  laughed 
till  their  very  sides  ached. 

Swartboy,  proud  of  his  achievement,  looked  round 
him  like  a  conqueror,  and  then  fixing  his  eyes  upon  hii 
rival,  put  the  simple  but  equivocal  interrogatory,— 

"  Eh  !  Congo !  ole  Kaffir  boy  !  dat  ycu  ?  " 

Tfie  carapace  was  eclipsed  ! 


BLESBOKS    AND    BONTKBOK8* 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

BLESBOKS    AND    BONTEBOK9. 

NEXT  morning  our  party  irispanned  and  treked  ovei 
the  desert  plain  in  a  northeasterly  direction.  They 
were  two  days  in  crossing  it,  and  their  oxen  suffered 
much  from  thirst,  as  during  the  two  days  they  did  not 
taste  water.  For  themselves  they  had  water  enough. 
Part  of  the  contents  of  each  wagon  was  a  good  water- 
cask,  that  held  eighteen  gallons ;  and  these,  of  course,  they 
had  filled  before  leaving  the  spring.  One  of  these  casks 
they  divided  among  their  horses,  allowing  them  a  little 
over  two  gallons  apiece  ,  but  that  was  nothing  for  two 
days'  march  over  such  a  country.  Even  the  yagers 
themselves  required  as  much.  This  statement  would 
flot  surprise  you,  if  you  had  ever  travelled  in  a  tropical 
clime  and  over  an  arid  waterless  plain  under  a  hot  glar- 
ing sun.  There  thirst  is  provoked  in  a  short  while,  anrf 
water  will  quench  it  only  for  a  few  minutes  at  a  time. 
The  appetite  constantly  returns,  and  calls  for  copious 
draughts  ;  so  that  a  traveller  will  often  consume  not 
glasses,  but  gallons,  of  water,  in  a  single  day ! 

Having  crossed  the  desert  plain,  the  hunters  now 
ei:t(red  upon  a  country  thai  differed  entirely  from  thai 
they  had  left  behind. 


BLE3BOKS    AND    BOXTEBOKS.  1  fi 

1'bey  had  arrived  in  a  country  of  vast  extent,  upoi 
*  dich  stood  hills  of  strange  and  varied  forms.  Some 
Wrrfe  of  a  rounded,  hemispherical  shape  ;  others  were 
coi.<is ;  others  had  flat-table  tops ;  and  still  others  pierced 
Jit  sky  with  sharp  needle-like  pinnacles.  These  hills 
*re«j  of  various  sizes — some  approaching  the  dimension 
of  fouuntains  ;  but  most  of  them  rose  directly  from  the 
plaint,  without  any  piedmont  or  "  foothills  "  intervening 
betwboi  the  level  surface  and  their  sloping  or  precipitous 
sides,  r'he  country  bore  a  very  strong  resemblance  to 
the  plattrtux  that  lie  among  the  Cordilleras  of  the  Andes  ; 
and  the  geological  formation  of  this  part  of  Africa  is 
very  simiW  to  the  table-lands  of  Mexico. 

Many  of  t'«o  mountains  of  conical  and  pyramid  form 
stood  isolated  upon  the  plain,  some  of  them  bare  of 
vegetation  from  base  to  summit.  Others,  again,  carried 
a  dark  mantle  of  forest,  that  covered  only  their  lower 
half,  above  which  rose  bare  peaks  of  white  quartz  that 
under  the  sun  glittered  like  snow. 

The  plains  between  were  some  of  them  of  vast  ex- 
tent— so  wide  that  at  times  the  mountains  that  bordered 
them  could  be  but  dimly  seen.  But  there  were  plains 
of  every  size  and  form.  Their  surface  was  covered 
with  a  species  of  grass  quite  different  from  that  of  the 
region  our  hunters  had  hitherto  been  passing  over.  It 
formed  a  short  sward  like  a  meadow  lately  mown,  or 
a  well-browsed  pasture-ground,  for  such  in  reality  h 
was — well  browsed  and  closely  cropped,  and  trodden  to 
a  hard  turf,  by  the  countless  herds  of  wild  ruminant 
animals,  of  which  it  was  the  favorite  range.  Unlike 
the  long  flowing  sweet  grass  upon  the  plains  south  of  the 
Orange  River,  these  were  covered  with  a  short  crisp 


164  BLKSBOKS    AND    BON1EBOKS. 

curly  herbage  of  saltish  taste ;  and  in  many  spots  aa 
effervescence  of  that  mineral  covered  the  ground,  whiten- 
ing the  blades  of  grass  like  a  hoar-frost.  Salt  deposits,, 
or  salt-pans  as  they  are  termed,  were  also  common 
some  of  them  extending  for  miles  over  the  plain. 

The  yagers  had  reached  a  peculiar  country,  indeed. 
They  had  arrived  in  the  "  zuur-veldt,"  the  country  of 
the  sour  grass — the  favorite  home  of  the  blesbok  and 
bontebok. 

What  are  these  ? 

They  are  two  antelopes,  whose  gracefulness  of  form, 
swiftness  of  foot,  but,  above  all,  the  lively  and  striking 
color  of  their  bodies,  have  rendered  remarkable. 

They  belong  to  the  genus  Gazelki,  but  in  many  of 
their  habits  they  differ  considerably  from  the  gazelles, 
though  differing  so  slightly  from  each  other  that  by 
both  travellers  and  naturalists  they  have  been  regarded 
identical. 

This  is  not  so.  They  are  distinct  species,  though 
inhabiting  the  same  country,  and  following  the  same 
mode  of  life.  The  blesbok  (  Gazella  albifrons)  is  neither 
so  large  nor  so  brilliantly  marked  as  the  bontebok, 
(Gazella  pygarga.)  His  horns  are  of  a  light  color, 
nearly  white,  while  those  of  the  bontebok  are  black.  In 
the  color  of  the  legs  there  is  also  a  marked  difference. 
The  legs  of  the  bontebok  are  white  from  the  knee  dowu. 
while  those  of  his  congener  are  only  white  on  the  in- 
sides — the  outsides  being  brown. 

The  bontebok  is  not  only  one  of  the  loveliest  ante- 
lopes in  Africa,  but  one  of  the  swiftest.  Indeed,  there 
are  those  who  hold  that  he  is  the  stoiftest.  In  size  he 
equals  the  European  stag,  and  his  form  is  light  and 


BL.ESBOKS    AND    BONTKBOKS.  •  t>3 

graceful.  His  horns  are  fifteen  inches  in  length,  blaik, 
robust  at  the  base,  semi-annulated  and  diverging.  They 
rise  erect  from  the  top  of  his  head,  bending  slightly 
backward,  and  then  forward  at  the  tips. 

But  it  is  the  beautiful  coloring  of  his  skin  which  is 
ths  principal  characteristic  of  this  antelope.  In  this 
lenpect  both  he  and  the  blesbok  bear  some  resemblance 
to  the  antelopes  of  the  acronotine  group — the  haitebeest 
arid  sassabye. 

The  colors  of  the  bontebok  are  purple  violet  and 
brown  of  every  shade — not  mingling  together,  but  mark- 
ing the  body  as  if  laid  on  by  the  brush  of  a  sign-painter. 
Hence  the  name  "  bontebok,"  or  '  painted  buck,"  as 
given  by  the  Dutch  colonists  to  this  species.  First,  the 
neck  and  head  are  of  a  deep  brown,  with  a  tinge  of  the 
color  of  arterial  blood.  Between  the  horns  a  white 
stripe  commences,  and  after  reaching  the  line  of  the 
eyes  widens  out  so  as  to  cover  the  face  to  the  very 
muzzle.  This  mark,  or  "  blaze,"  is  common  to  both  the 
species,  and  to  one  of  them  has  given  the  trivial  name 
"blesbok,"  (blaze-buck.) 

The  back  is  of  a  blue  lilac  color,  as  if  glazed ;  and 
this  extends  along  the  sides,  so  as  to  remind  one  of  a 
saddle.  Bordering  this,  and  running  along  the  flanks, 
is  a  broad  band  of  deep  purple  brown.  The  belly  and 
insides  of  the  thighs  are  of  pure  white  color ;  the  legs 
are  white  from  the  knees  down,  and  there  is  a  large 
white  patch  on  the  croup.  The  tail  reaches  to  the 
hocks,  and  is  tufted  with  black  hair.  Such  is  the  color 
of  the  bontebok,  and  that  of  the  blesbok  differs  from  it 
only  in  the  points  already  mentioned,  ivnd  in  its  colors 
beii>g  somewhat  less  marked  and  brilliant.  Both  are 


166         BLESBOKS  AND  BONTEEOKS. 

beautiful  creatures,  and  their  skins  are  much  prized  bj 
the  native  savages  for  making  the  "  kaross," — a  garment 
.hat  serves  them  both  as  a  cloak  by  day  and  a  bed  and 
blankets  at  night. 

The  habits  of  both  species  are  quite  similar.  They 
dwell  upon  the  plains  of  the  "  zuur-veldt,"  congregating 
in  vast  herds  of  many  thousands  that  cover  the  ground 
with  their  purple  masses. 

In  this  respect  they  resemble  the  springboks  and 
other  gazelles ;  but  they  have  habits  peculiar  to  them- 
selves. The  springboks,  when  alarmed,  take  to  flight 
and  scatter  off  in  any  direction,  whereas  the  bonteboks 
and  blesboks  invariably  run  against  the  wind,  bearing 
their  noses  close  along  the  ground,  like  hounds  upon  a 
trail ! 

They  are  fleeter  than  springboks,  and  also  more  shy 
and  wary,  as  though  they  knew  that  their  spoils  are 
more  valuable  to  the  hunter,  and  therefore  required 
greater  skill  and  speed  to  preserve  them. 

Both  species  were  once  common  in  what  are  now  the 
settled  districts  of  South  Africa,  their  range  extending 
to  the  Cape  itself.  That  is  now  restricted  to  the  "  zuur- 
/eldt "  districts,  north  of  the  Great  Orange  River. 

A  few  bonteboks  are  still  found  within  the  colonial 
borders  in  the  district  of  Swellendam;  but  their  exist- 
ence there  is  accounted  for  by  an  act  of  the  Government, 
ivhich  places  a  fine  of  six  hundred  rix-dollars  upon  any 
one  who  may  destroy  them  without  license. 

Our  young  yagers  had  now  arrived  in  t'.e  land  of  th« 
and  bontebok. 


STALKING    THE    BLESBOKS. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

STALKING   THE   BLESBOKS. 

WHF.N  they  had  got  fairly  within  the  boundaries  of 
the  blesbok  country,  the  young  yagers  resolved  to  make 
halt  for  a  day  or  two,  arid  hunt  these  beautiful  ante- 
lopes. Not  that  they  desired  their  flesh,  but  they  wished 
to  strip  one  or  two  of  them  of  their  bright,  parti-colored 
robes,  to  be  hung  up  along  with  their  horns  in  the  halls 
of  Graaf  Reinet. 

After  treking  some  miles  across  the  plains,  they  out- 
spanned  by  a  vley,  and  formed  their  camp. 

The  following  morning  they  mounted  their  horses 
and  proceeded  over  the  plain  in  search  of  the  purple 
antelopes. 

They  were  not  long  in  finding  them.  That  is  by  no 
means  a  difficult  thing  with  an  animal  that  herds  to- 
gether in  thousands,  provided  you  chance  to  be  in  the 
district  it  inhabits ;  and  the  yagers  were  not  slow  in 
coming  within  view  of  a  herd  of  blesboks. 

But  how  to  hunt  them  was  a  knowledge  which  none 
of  the  party  possessed — whether  to  let  slip  the  buck- 
dogs  and  gallop  right  into  the  thick  of  the  herd,  or  to 
get  within  shot  by  stalking — which  of  these  was  the 
proper  manner  neither  the  young  yagers  nor  theii 


Io8  STALKING    THE   BLESBORS. 

drivers  knew.  In  Swartboy's  country  neither  blesbok* 
nor  bonteboks  are  known.  They  do  not  range  to  tha 
western  half  of  South  Africa,  and  the  young  yagers  only 
knew  them  by  tradition.  Their  fathers  had  hunted 
them  years  before ;  but  both  species  had  been  long  since 
exterminated  south  of  the  Orange  River. 

As  for  Congo,  although  their  range  extended  into  a 
part  of  the  Kaffir  country,  he  had  never  chanced  to 
hunt  in  that  particular  district. 

Of  course  neither  Bushman  nor  Kaffir  were  on  the 
ground  with  the  hunters.  They  had  been  left  in  charge 
of  the  camp ;  but  the  advice  of  both  had  been  asked  at 
setting  out,  and  it  was  ascertained  that  they  had  none 
to  give. 

The  hunters  were  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed,  and  held 
a  discussion  upon  it. 

Groot  Willein  thought  they  should  be  hunted  like 
springboks, — that  is,  the  hunters  should  take  stand  and 
conceal  themselves,  while  one  or  two  rode  round  and 
drove  the  game  upon  these — a  mode  practised  witli  the 
fallow-deer  in  the  forests  of  North  America,  and  there 
termed  "driving." 

Hendrik  believed  that  they  could  be  "  ridden  into," 
aad  run  down  by  the  dogs. 

Hans  recommended  "  stalking,"  with  which  plan 
Arend  agreed.  Of  course  no  opinion  was  either  asked 
trora  or  given  by  the  lads  Klaas  and  Jan.  Had  they 
been  birds,  they  would  have  insisted  upon  their  "  say  " 
as  well  as  their  tkier  brothers. 

But  blesboKS  are  not  birds,  although  in  less  than  an 
hour  after  they  proved  themselves  to  be  almost  as  swift. 

Now,  as  stalking  was  the  mode  least  likely  to  give 


STALKING    THE    BLESBOKS,  169 

Ae  herd  the  alarm  and  send  them  off,  it  could  be  tried 
drst.  Should  no  one  succeed  in  getting  within  shot, 
then  Groot  Willem's  plan  might  be  adopted  ;  and  should 
it  also  fail  to  be  successful,  it  would  still  not  be  too  late 
to  follow  Hendrik's  advice,  and  ride  right  at  them. 

First,  then,  for  a  "  stalk." 

They  were  not  going  to  stalk  them  upon  horseback. 
Thtt  would  never  do,  though  there  are  some  animals 
that  will  suffer  a  mounted  man  to  approach  nearer  than 
one  a-foot.  But  blesboks  are  not  of  that  kind. 

All  dismounted,  therefore,  and  proceeded  on  foot  in 
the  direction  of  the  herd.  Not  all,  exactly.  Klaas  and 
Jan  remained  on  the  spot  in  charge  of  the  dogs  and 
horses.  Klaas  and  Jan  were  to  have  uo  share  in  the 
stalk. 

The  herd  was  in  the  middle  of  a  vast  open  plain — 
so  wide  that  the  mountains  on  its  opposite  side  were 
scarcely  visible.  Upon  all  that  plain  not  a  bush  01 
rock  appeared.  The  grass,  as  already  stated,  was  .<hort 
cropped,  and  smooth  as  a  meadow — not  a  break  in  the 
surface  to  offer  a  chance  of  concealment  to  the  hunier  ! 
How,  then,  could  they  talk  of  "stalking"  on  such  ground? 
They  knew  that  no  wild  animal,  however  stupid  or 
negligent,  would  permit  them  to  walk  up  within  point- 
blank  range  and  fire  at  them.  How,  then,  were  they 
going  to  approach  the  blesboks,  that  they  had  heard 
were  any  thing  but  stupid — on  the  contrary,  were  ex- 
ceedingly shy  and  watchful  of  danger  ?  How  ?  That 
is  a  peculiar  point,  and  requires  explanation. 

Although  there  were  neither  rocks,  nor  trees,  nor 
bushes  of  any  kind,  nor  long  grass,  nor  inequalities  in 
the  ground,  there  was  still  a  species  of  "  cover."  Not 
8 


170  STALKING   THE    BLESBOKS. 

the  best,  it  is  true,  but  such  as  would  serve  a  skilful 
hunter  who  knew  how  to  take  advantage  of  it.  Enough 
to  give  hopes  to  the  yiigers,  else  they  would  not  have 
dreamt  of  such  a  thing  as  an  attempt  to  stalk  the  bles« 
boks. 

Scattered  over  the  plain,  and  standing  at  irregular 
distances  of  from  one  to  three  hundred  yards  of  each 
other,  were  numerous  singular  structures.  They  were 
of  the  form  of  obtuse  cones,  or  hemispherical,  and  all 
of  a  light  gray  color — the  color  of  sun-dried  mud.  On 
the  sides  of  most  of  them  at  their  bases  could  be  seen 
a  hole  of  irregular  outline?,  and  evidently  not  made  by 
the  neat  workmen  who  had  built  the  mounds.  Quite 
the  contrary.  These  entrances  to  the  hollow  domes 
within  were  not  for  them.  Theirs  were  under-ground. 
These  had  been  made  by  their  enemies — the  burgl&ra 
who  had  plundered  their  houses.  I  am  sure  I  need 
hardly  tell  you  that  the  structures  thus  described  were 
ant-hills,  and  that  tne  big  holes  in  this  side  were  the 
work  of  the  long-tongued  "  aard-vark,"  or  the  scaly 
"  pangolin." 

The  hills  in  question  were  dome-shaped,  and  of  mod- 
erat?  size — varying  from  one  to  three  feet  in  height 
This  is  by  no  means  as  large  as  many  ant-hills  found  in 
Southern  Africa.  Some  are  four  times  that  height,  or 
still  higher ;  but  I  have  told  you  elsewhere  of  thee« 
high  hills,  and  that  there  are  different  species  of  ants 
who  construct  such  curious  nests — each  species  choosing 
its  own  style  of  architecture,— some  the  cone,  or  pyra- 
midal form, — some  a  complete  cluster  of  cones, — some 
build  them  of  cylindrical  shape,  and  others  nearly  half 
spherical,  like  inverted  tea-basins. 


STALKING   THE    BLESBOKS.  I/] 

Of  these  last  were  the  ant-hills  now  under  the  eye! 
of  the  young  yagers.  They  were  the  nests  of  the  Ter- 
mes  mordax — a  species  that  inhabits  all  the  plains  of  the 
'*  zuur-veldt "  country. 

The  hunters  proceeded  to  stalk  forward,  their  eyes 
bent  upon  the  antelopes,  and  their  hopes  fixed  upon  the 
ant-hills. 

Of  course  they  did  not  commence  crouching,  until 
they  had  tried  how  near  the  blesboks  would  allow  them  to 
come  without  cover.  This  they  soon  discovered  to  be 
about  four  hundred  yards ;  and  although  the  animals 
did  not  seem  to  mind  their  presence  at  that  distance,  but 
continued  browsing,  yet  the  moment  any  one  of  the  four 
endeavored  to  get  nearer,  the  herd,  as  if  mechanically, 
moved  off,  and  still  kept  a  width  of  four  hundred  yards 
between  themselves  and  the  stalkers. 

The  hunters  now  began  to  stalk  in  earnest,  crouching 
from  hill  to  hill.  It  was  to  no  purpose.  None  of  the 
four  could  get  within  shot.  They  separated  and  took 
different  sides.  The  same  result  followed — a  failure. 
Although  the  herd  kept  on,  and  always  in  the  same 
general  direction,  they  seemed  instinctively  to  avoid 
whatever  ant-heap  a  hunter  had  chosen,  giving  it  a 
"  wide  berth "  which  carried  them  beyond  the  reach 
even  of  Groot  Willem's  roer !  After  two  hours  spent 
in  this  fruitless  kind  of  hunting,  the  plan  was  aban- 
doned. 

The  "  stalk  "  would  not  do ;  and  Hans  and  Arend 
were  now  sneered  and  laughed  at  by  Hendrik  and  Grool 
Willem. 

"  What  ™uld  they  know  about  hunting  ?     Ha !  ha 
ha!" 


172  DRIVING    THE    BLESBOKt, 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

DRIVING   THE   BLESBOKS. 

ALL  now  returned  to  their  horses.  Groot  Willem'a 
plan  was  next  to  be  tried. 

They  mounted.  Klaas  and  Jan  were  permitted  to 
take  part  in  this  affair.  They  would  do  well  enough  to 
;<  drive  "  the  antelopes,  while  the  other  four  would  take 
stand,  and  receive  them  as  they  came  up. 

All  six  rode  off  towards  the  herd,  which,  during  the 
stalk,  had  moved  several  miles  across  the  plain. 

When  as  near  as  they  might  safely  go,  without  caus- 
ing the  animals  to  take  the  alarm,  Klaas  and  Jan  were 
sent  to  one  side,  while  the  stand-men  took  the  other, 
going  to  their  places  by  a  wide  circuit.  Of  course  their 
horses  enabled  them  to  get  to  their  positions  in  a  very 
tittle  time.  It  was  not  necessary  that  these  should  be 
tear  the  herd.  As  soon  as  they  should  conceal  them- 
selves behind  the  hills,  Klaas  and  Jan  were  to  drive  the 
game  up  ;  and  they  were  instructed  to  do  so  gently,  and 
without  causing  the  bucks  to  break  into  flight.  The 
lads  were  hunters  enough  to  manage  that  point. 

The  four  having  got  round  to  that  side  of  the  herd 
opposite  to  where  the  drivers  had  been  sent,  tied  theii 
bridles  together,  and,  leaving  their  horses,  walked  to 


DRIVING    THE    BLESBOKS.  175 

wards  the  herd.  They  deployed  from  each  other  as 
they  went,  so  as  to  cover  a  good  stretch  of  tne  { lain^ 
and  then  each  choosing  an  ant-hill,  knelt  down  behind  it. 

There  could  be  no  mistake  now.  The  antelopes, 
driven  by  Klaas  and  Jan,  would  come  their  way  ; 
springboks  certainly  would;  and  then,  "crack!  crack!" 
would  go  the  rifles,  and  "  bang !  "  Groot  Willem's  roer. 

This  gentleman  was  in  particularly  high  glee.  He 
had  recommended  this  mode  in  opposition  to  Hans 
and  Arend ;  but  he  did  not  mind  that,  for  he  had  rather 
a  contemptuous  opinion  of  the  hunter-craft  of  these  two 
"  yagers  ;  "  but  what  he  thought  of  was,  that  Hendrik 
had  opposed  it,  and  should  it  prove  successful  after  that 
opposition,  it  would  be  a  feather  in  Groot  Willem's  hat. 

That  it  would  succeed  he  had  little  doubt.  They 
were  all  nicely  placed.  The  two  boys  had  got  round 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  herd,  and  once  these  showed 
themselves  a  little  nearer,  the  antelopes  would  face 
round — they  were  browsing  towards  the  side  to  which 
the  boys  had  been  sent — and  feed  in  the  direction  of 
the  concealed  hunters.  Springboks  would  do  so,  said 
Groot  Willem  to  himself. 

But  springboks  are  not  blesboks.  They  differ  not 
only  in  size  and  color,  but  in  many  of  their  habits ;  and 
just  by  a  difference  in  one  of  these  last  was  Groot 
Willem  destined  to  disappointment.  A  curious  habit 
they  have — and  one  which  is  shared  by  a  few  other 
animals,  both  of  the  antelope  and  deer  species — knocked 
all  Groot  Willem's  fine  calculations  into  "pie." 

Instead  of  turning  when  Klaas  and  Jan  approached 
them  from  the  opposite  side,  as  all  expected  they  would 
io,  the  stubborn  creatures  would  not  be  turned,  tut  kepi 


174  DRIVING    THE    BLESBOKS. 

on  most  determinedly  in  their  original  course.  It  it 
true  that  they  swerved  a  little  to  get  past  the  boys  ;  but 
as  soon  as  they  were  fairly  beyond  them,  they  healed 
once  more  in  the  same  direction  as  before. 

Klaas  and  Jan  were  at  some  distance  from  ea  ,h 
other,  so  a'  to  make  a  wider  front  to  the  drive  ;  but  for 
all  that,  the  blesboks  swept  past  both  at  such  a  distance 
as  to  give  no  chance  for  a  bullet,  even  though  sent  from 
the  long  roer.  Neither  of  the  boys  fired,  as  they  had 
been  told  not  to  do  ;  and  as  both  behaved  discreetly  and 
quietly,  the  antelopes,  after  galloping  some  distance  to 
their  rear,  slackened  their  pace,  and  again  commenced 
browsing. 

Groot  Willem  felt  considerably  chagrined  at  the 
result,  and  got  well  laughed  at  by  both  Hans  and  Arend ; 
but  what  annoyed  him  still  more  was  a  word  or  two 
uttered  by  the  rival  hunter. 

"  I  knew,"  said  Hendrik  emphatically — "  I  knew  it 
wouldn't  do.  Do  you  take  blesboks  for  sheep,  to  be 
driven  about,  by  a  pair  of  boys  mounted  on  ponies  ? 
Bah !  " 

This  was  a  terrible  cut  for  Groot  Willem  ;  but  he 
replied  to  it  by  alleging  that  his  plan  had  not  had  a  fair 
trial.  It  was  now  plain  to  all  that  the  blesboks  fed  tip 
wind  ;  and,  therefore,  the  stand-men  should  have  headed 
them  instead  of  the  drivers. 

"  Let  us  try  it  that  way.  I'll  warrant  you  we'll  suc- 
ceed. If  we  don't,  then  we  can  do  as  Master  Hendrik 
recommends ;  and  we'll  see  how  Ms  plan,  which  is  nc 
plan  at  all,  may  answer." 

There  was  a  slight  touch  of  sarcasm  in  Grcot  Wil 
lem's  tone  when  he  referred  to  Hendrik,  and  the  empha 


DRIVING    THE    BLKSBOK9.  175 

sis  on  the  "  Master/'  partook  strongly  of  the  chara^tei 
of  a  sneer  counter  to  his  which  Ilendrik  had  given. 

There  could  be  no  objection  to  try  the  thing  over 
again,  according  to  the  mode  suggested  by  Groot  Wil- 
lem; and  they  all  assented  to  his  proposal.  It  mat 
plain  that  the  blesboks  ran  in  the  "  wind's  eye,"  else 
they  never  would  have  "  run  the  gauntlet "  against 
Klaas  and  Jan,  as  they  had  done.  Such  being  the  case, 
the  hunters,  by  laying  in  wait  to  windward,  would  have 
a  decided  advantage,  and,  properly  placed,  could  not  i'ail 
to  reach  some  of  the  advancing  herd. 

Should  the  scheme  turn  out  differently,  then  they 
could  follow  Hendrik's  advice,  and  ride  tail-on-end  upon 
the  blesboks. 

With  these  ideas,  the  four  galloped  away  to  one  side, 
and,  making  a  wide  detour,  headed  the  game.  Klaas 
and  Jan  were  left  in  the  rear  to  follow  it  up,  and  force 
it  gently  forward. 

In  good  time  the  stand-men  were  again  placed,  and 
watched  the  advancing  antelopes  with  interest.  The 
"  blaze  "  upon  their  faces  appeared  larger  and  larger, 
and  their  broad,  white  muzzles  gleamed  in  the  eyes  of 
the  hunters,  almost  within  range  of  their  guns.  But  at 
this  moment,  the  animals  raised  their  graceful  necks, 
uttered  a  strange,  snorting  cry,  and  then,  instead  of 
turning  to  fly  back,  bounded  right  forward  ! 

Surely  they  were  coming  within  range,  thought  every 
one,  as  he  knelt  with  ready  firelock  behind  his  shelter- 
ing mound.  "  Good  !  "  muttered  Groot  Willem  to  him- 
self. "  I'll  turn  the  laugh  upon  the  whole  of  them— 
that  I  shall." 

But    Groot  Willem   was   destined  once  more  to  a 


176  CHIVING   THE    BLESBOKS 

humiliating  disappointment.  As  the  blesboks  came 
under  the  lee  of  each  hill  that  covered  a  hunter,  they 
suddenly  swerved,  and  swept  round  him  at  such  a 
distance  as  to  render  shooting  at  them  a  perfectly  ridic- 
ulous thing.  Groot  Willem  had  levelled  his  roer  for  a 
chance  shot,  when  he  thought  of  the  unpleasant  con&e* 
quences  of  a  "  miss  ;  "  and  reluctantly  bringing  down  hia 
piece  he  permitted  the  blesboks  to  sweep  past. 

In  a  few  seconds  the  herd  was  far  beyond  the  place 
where  they  had  passed  the  hunters ;  but  as  no  assault 
had  been  made  upon  them,  and  no  gun  fired,  they 
quieted  down  after  a  while,  and  once  more  commenced 
browsing. 

Hendrik  was  now  the  proud  man  of  the  hour.  He 
would  show  them  how  the  slow  creatures  could  be  gal- 
loped into.  He  would  run  half-a-dozen  of  them  down 
before  they  could  clear  out  of  the  plain. 

"  Come  on  !  " 

All  once  again  mounted  their  horses,  and  rode  briskly 
towards  the  herd.  When  near,  they  moved  more  slowly 
and  quietly,  so  as  not  to  startle  them. 

As  soon  as  they  had  got  within  the  usual  distance  of 
four  hundred  yards,  the  bucks  moved  forward ;  and 
then  came  the  "  view  hilloa !  "  The  dogs  were  let  slip, 
the  horses  sprang  forward,  and  the  chase  swept  wildly 
over  the  plain. 

They  had  not  galloped  a  mile,  before  Hendrik  dis- 
covered his  mistake.  Both  dogs  and  horses  were 
distanced  by  the  swift  antelopes,  and  both  lagged  far 
behind. 

One  by  one  the  hunters  fell  into  the  rear,  and  drew 
jp  their  foaming  steeds  ;  and  in  less  than  twenty  minute* 


OKJVING    THE    BLESBOK8.  177 

time,  Hendrik  alone,  and  one  or  two  of  the  best  dogs, 
held  on. 

Plans  and  Arend,  believing  that  it  was  a  hopeless 
chase  for  their  horses,  gave  it  up  ;  and  Groot  Willem 
did  not  wish  to  succeed/  Of  course,  Klaas  and  Jan 
were  with  the  hindmost ;  and  they  all  sat  in  their  sad- 
dles, watching  first  the  purple  backs  of  the  bucks,  and 
then  the  head  aim  shoulders  of  Hendrik  disappearing 
among  the  distant  ant-hills  ! 


HEND1UKS    HAUD    G 


CHAPTER  XXVIH. 
HENDRIK'S  HARD  GALLOP. 

ON  swept  the  blesboks  over  the  level  sward  and  on  gal 
loped  Hendrik  after  them — his  horse  and  dogs  running 
at  their  utmost  speed.  For  all  that,  not  a  yard  could 
either  hunter  or  hounds  gain  upon  the  swift  antelopes. 
There  was  no  chance  for  either  to  "  run  cunning." 
There  was  no  taking  "  a  cut "  upon  the  game.  The 
blesboks  made  not  the  slightest  double — swerved  not  a 
point  from  their  course,  but  ran  in  a  straight  line,  dead 
in  the  wind's  eye.  No  advantage,  therefore,  was  given 
by  the  pursued,  or  could  be  taken  by  the  pursuers.  It 
was  a  simple  question  of  speed  between  horse,  dogs,  and 
game. 

The  dogs  gave  up  first.  They  broke  down  one  after 
another,  until  only  Hendrik's  favorite  hound  kept  near 
Another  mile's  running,  and  he  too  was  used  up,  and 
fell  to  the  rear  ;  and  now  Hendrik  galloped  alone. 

For  nearly  ten  miles  he  galloped,  until  the  sweat 
streamed  from  his  horse's  flanks,  and  the  froth  from  his 
lips,  and  still  the  blesboks  scoured  on  before  him  at  too 
great  a  distance  to  be  reached  by  his  rifle.  On  a  fresh 
horse  he  could  easily  have  overtaken  them  now  for  they 
fan  but  slowly.  Perhaps  he  could  have  closed  upon 


HEN1>RIK'S    HARD    GALLOP.  17£ 

them  as  it  was,  but,  with  all  his  desire  to  do  so,  he  was 
compelled  to  ride  with  caution.  The  burrows  of  the 
unt-cater  lay  in  hi?  path,  and  once  or  twice,  as  he  was 
closing  upon  the  game  with  good  prospect  of  getting 
near,  his  horse  had  stumbled,  and  lost  ground  again. 
This  gave  the  antelopes  a  decided  advantage,  as  with 
light  hoof  they  skimmed  over  these  impediments  with- 
out fear. 

And  still  Hendrik  was  reluctant  to  pull  up.  He  thought 
cf  the  empty  boasting  he  had  made.  He  thought  of  the 
scornful  laugh  that  would  greet  him  on  his  return.  He 
thought  of  Groot  Willem  ! 

If  he  could  only  take  back  one  hide — one  pair  of 
horns — all  would  be  well.  The  laugh  would  be  his. 
With  such  thoughts  he  had  been  urged  forward,  in  this 
long  and  desperate  ride. 

He  began  to  despair  of  success.  The  blesboks  seemed 
to  run  lightly  as  ever,  while  his  horse  sprang  heavily 
under  him.  The  noble  brute  must  soon  give  up. 

Hendrik  at  length  felt  for  him,  and  would  have  drawn 
bridle;  but  while  half-resolved  to  do  so,  he  noticed  a 
range  of  mountains  directly  in  front  of  him.  They  ap- 
peared to  extend  across  the  plain  transversely  to  his 
course,  or  rather  two  chains  met  in  a  sort  of  angle,  quite 
closing  up  the  plain  in  that  direction.  Towards  this 
ingle  the  blesboks  were  directing  their  course  ! 

Did  they  propose  taking  to  the  mountain?  was  the 
question  put  by  Hendrik  to  himself.  If  so,  he  might 
find  an  advantage  there.  They  might  come  to  a  stop, 
and  under  cover  of  the  rocks  and  bushes  that  grew  upon 
the  mountain-side,  he  might  be  able  yet  to  stalk  them. 

As  Hendrik  reflected  thus,  his  eyes  wandered  along 


180  HF.VDRIK'S  HARD  GALLOP. 

the  base  of  both  ranges  from  the  angle  where  they  mel 
to  a  good  distance  on  each  side.  To  his  surprise  he  per- 
ceived that  the  bases  of  both  ended  in  a  precipitous 
cliff,  with  no  apparent  pass  leading  up !  He  was  now 
close  enough  to  see  the  cliff.  Not  a  break  appeared 
•long  its  whole  line ! 

Hendrik  was  gratified  with  this  discovery.  He  was 
driving  the  game  into  an  angle,  a  very  trap.  They 
would  be  compelled  to  turn  upon  him,  and  out  of  such 
a  thick  mass,  he  could  not  fail  to  knock  over  one.  One 
was  all  he  wanted. 

His  hopes  returned,  inspiring  him  with  new  vigor ; 
and,  uttering  a  word  of  encouragement  to  his  horse,  he 
pushed  forward. 

Hi>  ride  did  not  last  much  longer.  Another  mile, 
and  it  was  over. 

He  had  gut  within  five  hundred  yards  of  the  moun- 
tain foot,  and  less  than  half  that  distance  from  the 
bucks  that  still  continued  to  run  straight  toward  the 
angle  of  the  cliffs.  He  was  now  quite  sure  of  a  shot. 
In  less  than  a  minute,  the  herd  would  be  compelled 
either  to  stop,  or  turn  back,  and  meet  him  hi  the 
teeth. 

It  was  time  to  get  his  rifle  in  readiness ;  and  as  he 
intenled  to  fire  into  the  thick  mass,  he  took  several 
small  bullets  from  his  pouch,  and  hastily  dropped  them 
into  the  barrel.  He  then  looked  to  his  percussion-cap, 
to  make  sure  that  all  was  right.  It  was  so.  The  cop- 
per was  properly  adjusted  on  the  nipple. 

He  cocked  his  gun,  and  once  more  looked  forward  to 
the  game.  Not  am.  antelope  wot  in  sight ! 

Where  were  they  ?     Had  they  sprung  up  the  moon- 


HENDBIK'S  HARD  GALLOP.  181 

tain  ?  Impossible  !  The  precipice  could  not  be  scaled  ? 
Impossible  !  Even  had  they  done  so,  they  would  still 
have  been  seen  upon  the  mountain  face.  They  were 
not  in  sight,  not  one  of  them  !  The  hunter  reined  up, 
his  gun  dropped  back  to  the  withers  of  his  horse,  hia 
jaws  fell,  and  for  some  moments  he  sat  with  parted  lips, 
and  eyes  glaring  in  wonderment. 

Had  he  been  of  a  superstitious  nature,  he  might  have 
been  troubled  with  some  painful  feelings  at  that  mo- 
ment. But  he  was  not  superstitious.  Although  for  a 
moment  or  two  he  could  not  feel  otherwise  than  aston- 
ished at  it,  he  knew  there  was  some  natural  cause  for 
the  "  sudden  and  mysterious  disappearance "  of  the 
bucks. 

He  did  not  pause  long  in  doubt,  but  proceeded  at 
once  to  the  proper  quarter  for  an  explanation.  The 
tracks  of  the  herd  guided  him  to  that,  and  after  riding 
three  hundred  yards  further,  the  mystery  was  explained 
to  his  full  and  complete  satisfaction. 

The  angle,  after  all,  was  not  an  angle,  for  the  apex 
was  wanting.  There  was  a  "  thoroughfare "  without 
the  slightest  obstruction.  Although  at  a  short  distance 
the  converging  cliffs  appeared  to  impinge  upon  each 
inher,  there  was  an  opening  between  them — a  narrow 
pass  that  like  an  isthmus  connected  the  plain  over 
which  tne  chase  had  gone,  with  another  and  very  simi- 
lar one  that  stretched  away  on  the  other  side  of  the 
mountains.  The  blesboks  must  have  known  it  well 
enough,  else  they  would  not  have  run  so  direct  for  the 
false  angle  in  the  cliffs.  Hendrik  trutted  up  the  pass  to 
convince  himself  that  it  was  no  cul-de-sac.  After  going 
a  few  hundred  yards,  the  isthmus  widened  again,  and 


18'.  HENDIUK'S  HAKD  GALLOP. 

he  saw  to  his  chagrin  the  violet  backs  of  the  bucks  fai 
off  upon  the  plain  that  stretched  beyond. 

Overcome  with  disappointment  and  chagrin,  he  flung 
nimself  from  his  saddle,  and  staggering  a  few  paces,  sat 
down  upon  a  boulder  of  rock.  He  did  not  even  stop 
to  fasten  his  horse,  but,  dropping  the  bridle  over  hig 
neck,  left  the  froth-covered  and  panting  steed  to  him* 
self. 


RKND&IK    CHASKD    BY    THE    KEITLOA.  18,1 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

EENDRIK    CHASED    BY    THE    KEITLOA. 

HENPRIK'S  feelings  at  that  moment  were  not  to  b« 
envied.  His  reflections  were  sharply  bitter.  He  felt 
mortified  and  humiliated.  He  wished  he  had  never  set 
eyes  upon  a  blesbok.  A  sorry  figure  would  he  cut  on 
his  return  to  camp.  He  had  laughed  heartily  at  Hans 
and  Arend.  They  would  reciprocate  that  laugh,  and 
add  interest.  He  had  ridiculed  the  idea  of  Groot  Wil- 
lem.  Groot  would  not  fail  to  pay  back  his  scorn. 

Besides,  he  had  done  his  horse  no  good  ;  perhaps  had 
injured  the  animal.  There  stood  he,  with  steaming 
nostrils  and  heaving  flanks,  quite  used  up.  They  were 
nearly  twelve  miles  from  camp.  He  would  scarce  be 
able  to  carry  his  rider  back,  and  Hendrik  even  began 
to  entertain  doubts  about  his  way. 

The  thought  that  he  might  have  lost  himself  was  just 
entering  his  mind,  when  his  reflections  were  inter- 
rupted by  a  sound  that  caused  him  to  start  up  from 
that  rock,  as  nimbly  as  he  had  ever  risen  from  a  seat  in 
his  life. 

The  same  sound  seemed  to  produce  a   very  similar 
effect  upon  his  horse ;  for  the  latter,  on  hearing  it,  sud 
ienly  jerked  up  his  drooping  head,  pricked  his  earn, 


184  HENDKIK    CHASED    BY    THE    KEITLOA. 

snortod  loudly,  and,  after  dancing  about  a  moment  >i 
two,  shot  off  down  the  pass  at  full  gallop  ! 

Hendrik's  eyes  did  not  follow  him,  nor  his  thoughts 
•neither.  Both  were  too  busy  with  an  animal  that  came 
tram  the  opposite  side,  and  which  had  uttered  the  sound 
that  caused  such  a  sudden  alarm.  The  deep  bass  snort, 
and  the  bellows-like  blowing  that  followed,  were  no 
strangers  to  the  ear  of  the  young  hunter.  He  knew 
that,  on  looking  round,  he  would  behold  the  black  rhi- 
noceros ; — and  he  did  so.  That  fierce  creature  was 
coming  down  the  pass ! 

At  first  sight  Hendrik  was  not  so  terribly  alarmed. 
He  had  hunted  the  rhinoceros  more  than  once,  and  did 
not  deem  it  such  dangerous  sport.  He  had  always  beer, 
able  to  avoid  the  charges  of  the  clumsy  quadruped,  anJ 
to  escape  out  of  its  way  when  he  desired. 

But  Hendrik  for  the  moment  had  forgotten  that  on 
such  occasions  he  was  seated,  not  on  a  boulder  of  rock, 
but  in  the  saddle,  and  it  was  to  his  horse  that  he  owed 
his  immunity  from  danger. 

Now  that  his  horse  had  run  off,  and  he  found  himself 
a-foot  upon  the  plain,  with  nothing  between  him  and  the 
rhinoceros  but  twenty  yards  of  smooth  level  turf,  he  be- 
came truly  alarmed.  And  no  wonder  at  it — his  life  was 
in  danger. 

His  first  thought  was  to  run  up  the  rocks,  thinking  by 
so  doing  to  get  out  of  the  animal's  reach.  But,  on  look- 
ing towards  these,  he  perceived  that  they  formed  a 
precipice  on  both  sides  of  the  pass,  with  a  wall-like  face, 
that  could  only  have  been  scaled  by  a  cat!  Hendrik 
eould  not  climb  up  on  either  side ! 

In  the  pass  itself  there  was  no  shelter  for  him.     It* 


HENDRIK    CHASED    BY    THE    KEITLOA.  183 

Dottom  was  a  smooth  sward,  sloping  but  slightly.  It 
was  but  the  continuation  of  the  outer  plains,  that  wen1 
nearly  on  the  same  level.  Here  and  there  stood  a  tree, 
but  they  were  small  ones — mere  "  brush,"  and  a  rhinoce- 
ros "xmld  have  levelled  any  of  them  to  the  ground  with 
his  powerful  horn.  They  offered  no  hope,  either  for 
concealment  or  retreat. 

There  appeared  no  chance  of  escape  in  any  way. 
To  attempt  it  by  running  off'  would  be  perfectly  useless  ; 
for  Hendrik  knew  that  a  rhinoceros  could  overtake  the 
swiftest  runner,  as  every  South-African  hunter  could 
testify.  Hendrik  did  not  think  of  it.  To  add  to  his  ill- 
fortune,  he  hud  left  his  gun  strapped  to  the  saddle,  and 
that  was  now  gone  off  with  the  horse  ;  so  that  his  chance 
of  saving  himself  by  the  destruction  of  the  rhinoceros  was 
gone  also.  The  only  weapon  left  him  was  his  hunting- 
knife  ;  but  what  was  a  knife  against  the  hide  of  a 
rhinoceros  ?  It  might  as  well  have  been  a  needle. 

There  was  but  one  hope  of  safety  ;  and  that  was,  that 
the  animal  might  not  see  him.  The  rhinoceros  possesses 
the  sense  of  fight  only  in  a  moderate  degree.  His  e/es 
are  small ;  and  though  sharp  enough  when  an  object  is 
directly  in  front  of  him,  they  are  so  placed  in  his  head, 
that,  on  account  of  his  stiff  neck  and  huge  form,  he 
can  see  nothing  either  behind  or  even  at  either  side  of 
him. 

Hendrik  had  hopes  the  fierce  brute  would  pass  with- 
out observing  him.  From  his  movements  it  was  evident 
he  had  not  noticed  him  as  yet,  else  he  would  already 
have  charged  upon  him.  The  black  rhinoceros  does  nol 
wait  to  be  provoked.  His  own  fierce  nature  furnishes 
him  with  sufficient  stimulus,  and  his  fury  is  habitually 


186  HENDRIK    CHASED    BY    T1JE    KEITLOA. 

directed  against  creatures  the  most  innocent  and  unof- 
fending. 

To  get  as  far  out  of  his  way  as  possible,  Hendrik 
glided  silently  up  to  the  cliff,  and  stood  close  against  the 
rock. 

But  if  the  rhinoceros  is  not  a  sharp-sighted  animal 
he  is  one  of  the  sharpest-scented  that  lives.  With  the 
wind  in  his  favor,  he  can  smell  even  a  "rat"  at  an 
almost  incredible  distance.  He  is  also  gifted  with  a 
most  acute  sense  of  hearing ;  and  the  slightest  sound, 
such  as  the  rustling  of  a  leaf  or  the  falling  of  a  foot- 
step, will  enable  him  to  guide  himself  directly  to  his 
enemy  or  his  victim.  Were  the  rhinoceros  endowed 
with  the  power  of  vision  to  the  same  degree  as  he  is 
wiih  that  of  smell  and  hearing,  he  would  be  the  most 
dangerous  animal  in  the  world.  As  it  is,  he  is  any  thing 
but  a  safe  neighbor,  and  many  of  the  poor  natives  of 
the  country  he  inhabits  fall  victims  to  his  ungovernable 
temper  and  brutal  strength.  Fortunately  his  eyes  are 
no  bigger  than  they  are. 

They  were  big  enough,  however,  to  see  Hendrik  aa 
he  stood,  his  dark  form  outlined  against  the  c^iff,  and 
sharp  enough  to  distinguish  him  from  the  rock.  The 
breeze,  indeed,  blowing  in  his  spread  nostrils,  had 
warned  him  of  the  hunter's  presence,  and  that  had 
•li reeled  his  eyes. 

As  these  rested  upon  the  form  of  the  boy,  he  stopped 
ihort  in  his  track,  uttered  a  snorting  noise,  vibrated  his 
ears,  and  flirted  his  saucy  little  tail  over  his  huge  hips. 
Then  placing  himself  in  a  menacing  attitude,  and  giving 
utterance  to  an  angry  blowing,  he  dashed  forward  upon 
Hendrik  as  if  the  latter  had  been  his  enemy  for  life  1 


flENDRIK.    CHASED    BY    THE    KEITLOA.  187 

Hendrik's  presence  of  mind  was  called  for  at  this 
moment;  and  it  came  to  his  aid.  Had  he  kept  hia 
ground  five  seconds  longer,  he  would  have  been  crushed 
against  the  rock,  or  impaled  upon  the  strong  horn  of 
the  rhinoceros.  But  the  moment  the  latter  charged,  the 
boj  sprang  out  from  the  cliff. 

He  did  not  attempt  to  run — that  would  not  have 
saved  him ;  and  fortunately  he  knew  it.  He  merely 
stepped  out  to  the  more  open  ground  in  the  middle  of 
the  pass,  and  there  stood  fronting  his  assailant.  The 
latter  ha\ing  seen  the  movement,  swerved  in  his  course, 
so  as  again  to  head  direct  for  his  intended  victim ;  and 
without  stopping,  rushed  forward  as  before. 

Hendrik  stood  still,  until  the  sharp  black  horn  almost 
touched  him.  Then  bounding  to  one  side,  he  glided 
past  the  rhinoceros,  and  ran  in  an  opposite  direction. 

He  looked  back  as  he  ran ;  and  seeing  that  the  fierce 
brute  had  turned  suddenly  on  the  failure  of  his  charge, 
and  was  close  at  his  heels,  he  again  made  stand,  con- 
fronting the  animal  as  before.  Again  he  waited  until 
the  rhinoceros  was  close  up,  and  repeated  the  manoeuvre 
of  springing  to  one  side  and  running  behind.  This 
Hendrik  had  heard  was  the  only  way  to  escape  the 
rhinoceros  in  open  ground.  Had  he  sprung  aside  a 
moment  too  soon,  that  is,  before  the  sudden  bound  en- 
abled him  to  clear  the  field  of  the  animal's  vision,  he 
would  certainly  have  been  followed  and  overtaken ;  for, 
unwieldy  as  the  rhinoceros  appears,  it  is  nevertheless 
far  more  active  than  it  looks,  and  the  horse  can  barely 
get  out  of  the  way  of  its  sudden  and  impetuous  rush. 

Hendrik  had  got  two  hundred  yards  down  the  pass 
before  it  turned  again,  but  the  distance  was  not  enough 


188  HENDHIK    CHASED    BV   T11E    KlilTLOA. 

He  was  compelled  to  make  stand  for  the  third  time,  aod 
Rvvait  the  terrible  onset  of  his  huge  enemy. 

As  before,  he  succeeded  in  getting  to  his  rear,  but 
the  rhinoceros  seemed  to  grow  wiser,  and  now  wheeled 
his  body  at  shorter  intervals,  so  that  Hendrik's  chances 
of  escape  were  growing  less  and  less  after  each  succes- 
sive charge.  In  fact,  he  was  kepi  dodging  and  leaping 
continuously  from  side  to  side.  To  have  lost  his  footing, 
or  relaxed  his  vigilance  for  a  moment,  would  have  been, 
certain  and  immediate  destruction. 

Hendrik  began  to  despair.  He  was  already  panting 
for  breath,  with  the  perspiration  flowing  from  every 
pore.  His  body  ached  with  fatigue.  His  limbs  began 
to  fail  him.  He  could  not  hold  out  much  longer.  There 
was  no  reason  to  believe  the  powerful  brute  would 
desist.  It  was  child's  play  to  him  ;  and  he  had  worked 
himself  into  a  fearful  rage  at  not  being  able  to  strike 
his  victim  after  so  many  charges. 

Hendrik  began  to  think  he  was  lost  for  ever.  The 
thoughts  of  home,  of  father,  of  sister,  and  brothers,  of 
Wilhelmine — rushed  across  his  mind ;  he  would  never 
see  them  more ;  he  would  be  killed  in  that  pass,  and  by 
(he  fierce  dark  monster  that  was  pursuing  him.  They 

would  never  know  what  had  become Ha !  An 

ejaculation  escaped  from  Hendrik's  lips  as  these  sad 
thoughts  coursed  through  his  brain.  It  was  an  exclama- 
tion of  joy. 

The  struggle  between  him  and  the  fierce  animal  had 
continued  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  had 
changed  from  place  to  place  until  they  were  now  about 
the  middle  of  the  pass.  Hendrik's  sudden  exclamation 
had  been  caused,  by  his  observing  upon  the  cliffs  a  sort 


HENDRIK    CHASED    BY    THE   KEITLOA.  189 

jf  ledge  or  platlbrin  about  six  feet  from  the  ground.  It 
was  scarce  that  width,  but  it  ran  along  the  front  of  th« 
cliff  for  a  distance  of  several  yards  ;  and,  as  Hendrik 
thought,  at  one  end  there  was  a  sort  of  cave  or  cleft  in 
the  rocks.  He  scarce  glanced  at  this,  however;  the 
platform  itself  was  what  interested  him,  and  without 
another  thought  or  look  he  grasped  the  edge  of  the  rock 
and  dragged  himself  up. 

The  next  moment  he  stood  upon  the  shelf,  and  looked 
safely  down  upon  the  ferocious  brute  that  was  storting 
in  vain  fury  below  ! 


190  HENORIK    IN    A    STATE    OF    S1EGK 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

HENDRIK    IN    A    STATE    OF    SiEGE. 

HENDHIK  breathed  freely,  though  he  puffed  and 
panted  a  long  time  after  getting  upon  his  perch.  Ilia 
mind  was  at  ease,  however,  for  he  saw  at  once  that  the 
rhinoceros  could  not  reach  him.  The  mo.-t  it  could  do 
was  to  get  its  ugly  snout  over  the  edge  of  the  rock,  and 
that  only  by  raising  itself  upon  its  hind-legs.  This  it 
actually  did,  blowing  with  rage,  and  projecting  its  broad 
muzzle  as  close  as  it  could  to  the  feet  of  the  hunter,  as 
if  to  seize  him  with  its  elongated  and  prehensile  lips. 

It  did  so  only  once.  Hendrik  was  as  angry  as  the 
rhinoceros,  and  with  juster  cause ;  and  now,  feeling 
confident  of  the  security  of  his  position,  he  bent  forward, 
and  with  all  his  might  repeatedly  kicked  the  thick  lips 
of  the  brute  with  the  heels  of  his  heavy  boots. 

The  rhinoceros  danced  about,  uttering  cries  of  rage 
and  pain ;  but,  despite  the  brutal  impetuosity  of  its 
nature,  it  no  longer  attempted  to  scale  the  cliff,  but  con- 
tented itself  with  rushing  to  and  fro  at  its  base,  evi- 
dently determined  to  lay  siege  to  the  hunter. 

Hendrik  had  now  time  to  contemplate  this  singular 
animal.  To  his  surprise  he  perceived  that  it  was  a  new 
species — that  is,  one  he:  had  never  seen  before,  although 
he  had  heard  of  it. 


HEXDRIK    IN    A    STATE    OF    SIEGE.  191 

Hendrik  knew — for  Hans  had  told  him  long  ago— 
ihat  there  were  at  least  four  species  of  the  rhinoceros 
inhabiting  the  countries  of  South  Africa  between  the 
Tropic  and  the  Cape,  and  that  probably  a  fifth  existed 
to  the  north  of  this  line.  Of  the  four,  two  were  white 
rhinoceroses,  and  two  black.  The  white  ones  were 
called  respectively  "kobaoba"  and  "  muchocho,"  the 
black  ones*  "  borele  "  and  "  keitloa."  The  white  specie* 
were  both  larger  than  the  black  ones,  but  of  milder  dis- 
position. Their  food  was  principally  grass,  while  the 
borele  and  keitloa  browse  upon  the  tender  >hoots  and 
leaves  of  bushes.  The  white  ones  are  "  unicorns,"  that 
is,  their  anterior  horn  is  largely  developed — in  the 
muchocho  being  sonietimes  three  feet  in  length,  and  in 
the  kobaoba  still  longer — while  the  posterior  horn  is 
simply  a  knob  or  bony  protuberance.  There  are  many 
other  points  of  distinction  between  the  white  and  black 
species,  both  in  form,  color,  and  habits. 

Now,  as  the  one  that  had  attacked  Hendrik  was  a 
Hack  rhinoceros,  and  was  not  the  borele — for  this  was 
the  kind  they  had  encountered  while  hunting  the  gnoo 
— it  must  be  the  keitloa.  That  it  was  not  the  borele, 
Hendrik  saw  by  its  horns.  In  the  latter  the  front  horn 
only  is  developed  to  any  considerable  length — never  so 
long  as  in  the  white  ones — whereas,  like  with  them,  the 
posterior  horn  is  little  more  than  a  pointed  knob,  though 
longer  or  shorter  in  different  individuals.  Now,  the 
rhinoceros  before  Hendrik's  eyes  had  two  thick  strong 
horns  upon  its  snout,  each  one  being  full  fifteen  inches 
in  length,  and  of  course  nearly  equal.  The  neck,  too, 
was  longer,  and  the  lip  more  pointed  and  prehensile 
than  in  the  borele",  for  Hendrik  knew  the  latter  well,  as 


192  HENDRIK    IN    A    STATE    OF   SIEGE. 

it  is  one  of  the  most  common  animals  upon  th« 
frontier. 

Hendrik's  assailant  was  the  keitloa.  Although  less 
is  known  of  this  species  than  either  the  muchocho  01 
borele — because  its  district  lies  farther  to  the  north — 
yet  Hendrik  had  heard  something  of  its  character  from 
Hans,  as  well  as  from  old  hunters.  He  had  heard  that 
it  is  even  more  fierce  and  dangerous  than  the  borele, 
and  is  more  dreaded  by  the  native?.  In  districts  where 
it  is  common,  the  people  fear  it  more  than  any  other 
animal — not  even  excepting  the  lion  or  the  grim  buffalo! 

Hendrik  had  heard  this  about  the  keitloa,  and  no 
longer  wondered  at  its  having  attacked  him  in  the  sav- 
age and  unprovoked  manner  it  had  done.  He  only 
thanked  his  stars  that  there  existed  that  little  ledge  of 
rock  upon  which  he  now  stood,  and  from  which  he  could 
look  down  and  contemplate  those  terrible  horns  with  a 
feeling  of  complacency  which,  five  minutes  before,  he 
had  not  enjoyed.  He  almost  laughed  at  the  odd  situa- 
tion he  found  himself  in. 

"  What  a  place  for  Hans ! "  he  said  in  soliloquy. 
"  Capital  place  for  him  to  study  the  natural  history  of 
this  clumsy  brute  ! " 

At  this  moment,  as  if  echoing  his  thoughts,  the  keitloa 
began  to  exhibit  before  him  one  of  its  peculiar  habits. 

There  stood  a  good-sized  bush  right  in  front,  having 
a  number  of  separate  stems  growing  from  one  root,  the 
whole  forming  a  little  clump  of  itself.  Against  this 
bush  the  rhinoceros  commenced  battling, — now  charging 
it  from  one  side,  now  from  another, — dashing  at  it  head- 
ibremost,  breaking  the  branches  with  his  horns,  and 
trampling  them  under  his  thick  clumsy  limbs — all  tho 


HENDUIK    IN    A    STA.TE    OF    SIKGE.  193 

while,  by  his  menacing  look  and  movements,  appearing 
as  if  he  was  fighting  with  some  enemy  iu  earnest  I 
Whether  in  earnest  or  not,  he  continued  to  go  on  in  this 
way  for  more  than  half-an-hour,  until  every  stem  atid 
branch  were  barked,  broken,  and  crushed  to  mummy 
among  his  feet,  and  not  till  then  did  he  desist  from  his 
furious  attacks. 

The  whole  thing  had  such  a  ludicrous  air  about  it 
that  it  recalled  to  Hendrik's  mind  the  story  of  Don 
Quixote  and  the  windmill,  and  set  him  laughing  out- 
right. His  merriment,  however,  was  not  of  long  dura- 
tion, for  he  now  began  to  perceive  that  the  fury  of  the 
keidoa  was  as  long-lived  as  it  was  terrible.  The 
glances  that  the  animal  from  time  to  time  cast  upon  the 
huntei  told  the  latter  that  he  had  to  deal  with  an  iin-* 
placable  «.nemy. 

As  soon  as  the  creature  had  finished  its  battle  with 
the  bush,  it  walked  back  towards  the  cliff,  and  stood 
with  its  head  erect  and  its  small  lurid  eyes  gleaming 
upon  the  hunter.  It  appeared  to  know  he  was  its 
prisoner,  and  had  resolved  upon  keeping  him  there.  Its 
whole  manner  satisfied  Hendrik  that  such  was  its  inten 
tion,  and  he  began  once  more  to  feel  uneasy  about  the 
result. 

When  another  hour  had  passed,  and  still  the  keitloa 
kjpt  watching  him  from  below,  he  became  more  than 
niieasy — he  became  alarmed. 

He  had  been  suffering  from  thirst  ever  since  they 
commenced  hunting  the  blesbok — he  was  now  almost 
choking.  He  would  have  given  any  thing  for  one  cup 
of  water. 

The  hot  sun — for  it  was  yet  only  noon — scorched 
9 


194  HENDRIK   IN   A    STATE    OF    SIEGE. 

him  as  he  stood  against  that  bare  burning  rock.     H« 
Buffered  torture  from  heat  as  well  as  thirst. 

He  suffered,  too,  from  suspense.  How  long  might 
his  implacable  sentinel  keep  watch  upon  him?  Untii 
the  keitloa  should  leave  the  spot,  there  was  not  tl;e 
slightest  hope  of  his  escaping.  To  have  returned  to  the 
plain  would  be  certain  death.  It  would  have  been  death 
but  for  the  timely  proximity  of  that  friendly  rock.  No 
hope  to  escape  from  its  broiling  surface  so  long  as  the 
tierce  brute  remained  below. 

Would  Hans  and  the  others  believe  him  lost,  and 
follow  upon  his  spoor  ?  They  might,  but  not  till  the 
next  day.  They  would  not  think  of  him  being  lost 
before  night  came,  as  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  one 
ot  them  to  be  off  alone  from  morning  till  night.  How 
would  he  endure  the  terrible  thirst  that  was  raging 
within  him  ?  How  would  he  suffer  it  until  they  should 
arrive  ? 

Besides,  it  might  rain  during  the  night.  His  spoor 
would  then  be  completely  obliterated.  They  would  not 
be  able  to  follow  it,  and  then,  what  might  be  his  fate  ? 

These  and  many  other  reflections  passed  through  his 
mind  as  he  stood  upon  the  ledge,  regarding  his  fierce 
jailer  with  looks  of  anger  and  impatience. 

But  the  keitloa  cared  not  for  that.  He  still  remained 
upon  the  ground,  now  pacing  to  and  fro  by  the  bottom 
of  the  cliff,  and  now  standing  still,  with  head  erect,  his 
email  dark  orbs  scintillating  with  a  look  of  untiring 
vengeance. 


A    SINGULAR    ESCAPE. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A     SINGULAR     ESCAPK. 

As  the  moments  passed,  ITendrik's  thirst  grew  fiercer, 
and  his  impatience  stronger.  He  had  already  exam- 
ined the  cliff  above  him — in  hopes  that  he  might  have 
found  a  way  by  which  it  could  be  scaled.  To  no  pur- 
pose did  he  look  up.  There  were  other  ledges,  it  ia 
true,  but  they  were  beyond  his  reach.  The  shelf  he 
stood  upon  ran  along  the  face  of  the  cliff  for  many 
yards,  but  narrowed  at  both  ends  until  it  could  be  fol- 
lowed no  farther.  He  had  not  moved  from  the  spot 
where  he  ascended,  as  that  was  the  broadest  part,  and 
where  he  was  most  out  of  reach  of  the  elastic  snout  and 
long  horns  of  the  keitloa. 

He  now  remembered  that,  while  battling  about  below, 
he  had  noticed  a  dark  spot  above  the  ledge,  which  he 
had  conjectured  to  be  the  entrance  of  a  cave,  or  a  hole 
ill  the  cliff.  He  had  thought  of  it  once  again,  but  ai 
creeping  within  a  cave  would  not  render  him  mere 
secure  than  he  was  out  on  the  rock,  he  had  not  gone 
towards  it. 

Now  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  might  examine  the 
cave,  and  enter  it  if  large  enough  to  admit  him.  It 
would,  at  least,  be  pleasanter  there,  as  he  would  he 


196  A    SINGULAR    ESCAPE. 

sheltered  from  the  hot  rays  of  the  sun — an  important 
consideration  at  that  moment. 

But  there  was  another  consideration  that  influenced 
him  still  more ;  and  that  was,  the  thought  that  were  he 
once  out  of  sight  the  rhinoceros  might  forget  him.  He 
knew  that  the  old  adage,  "  out  of  sight,  out  of  mind," 
bad  a  good  deal  of  meaning  when  applied  to  the  borele", 
the  lion,  a'nd  many  other  dangerous  animals  ;  and  per 
haps  the  proverb  would  also  hold  good  of  the  keitloa — 
though  what  he  had  heard  of  this  creature  gave  him 
very  little  ground  to  hope.  At  all  events,  he  could  test 
the  thing.  It  would  not  cost  much  time  to  make  the 
trial ;  and  even  should  it  prove  of  no  service  in  that 
way,  the  change  from  his  present  stand  upon  the  hot 
ledge  for  a  seat  within  a  cool  cavern  could  not  other 
wise  than  better  his  condition.  To  the  cave  then  ! 

Fixing  his  eye  upon  the  keitloa,  he  commenced  mov- 
ing along  the  terrace,  towards  the  point  where  he  re- 
membered having  noticed  the  dark  fissure  in  the  cliff. 

The  keitloa  followed,  keeping  with  him  step  for  step ; 
and  apparently  roused  to  fresh  vigilance,  as  if  it  feared 
that  its  victim  was  about  to  attempt  an  escape.  All  the 
way  it  followed  him ;  and  as  the  ledge  grew  narrower, 
it  became  necessary  for  Hendrik  to  proceed  with  great 
caution.  Not  that  he  was  in  danger  of  falling  from  it. 
but  rather  of  being  dragged — for  the  rhinoceros,  by 
standing  on  his  hind-legs,  was  now  able  to  stretch  his 
broad  muzzle  above  the  edge  of  the  rock,  and  to  pro- 
trude his  elastic  snout  across  the  ledge  within  a  few 
inches  of  the  wall  beyond.  It  therefore  required  "gin- 
gerly" stepping  on  the  part  of  Hendrik.  Notwith- 
Btundii  g  all  the  menacing  effbns  of  his  adversary, 


A    SINGULAR    ESCAPE.  197 

Hendrik  succeeded  in  reaching  the  entrance  of  th« 
;avo. 

It  was  a  cavern  deep  and  dark,  with  a  mouth  suffi- 
ciently large  to  admit  the  body  of  a  man  in  a  benl 
position. 

Hendrik  was  about  stooping  to  enter  it,  when  a  loud 
"purr"  sounded  in  his  ears  that  caused  him  to  start 
erect  again,  as  if  some  one  had  run  a  needle  into  his 
back  !  The  "  purr  "  was  quickly  followed  by  a  "  roar," 
so  deep  and  terrible,  that  in  his  first  moments  of  alarm, 
the  hunter  felt  half  inclined  to  leap  to  the  ground,  and 
risk  the  horns  of  the  rhinoceros,  which,  at  that  instant, 
were  gleaming  above  the  ledge,  within  twenty  inches  of 
his  feet ! 

There  was  no  mystery  in  what  caused  the  alarm. 
There  was  no  mistaking  that  roar  for  any  other  earthly 
sound.  The  cave  was  tenanted  by  a  lion  ! 

The  tenant  did  not  remain  much  longer  within  his 
house.  The  roaring  continued ;  and  every  moment 
sounded  nearer  and  clearer.  The  huge  claws  caused  a 
rattling  among  the  dry  pebbles  that  strewed  the  bottom 
of  the  cave.  The  lion  was  coming  forth  ! 

With  the  nimbleness  of  a  klipspringer,  Hendrik 
bounded  to  one  side,  and  ran  back  along  the  ledge,  look- 
ing fearfully  behind  him. 

This  time  he  was  not  followed  by  the  ktitloa.  The 
rhinoceros,  whether  terrified  by  the  roar  of  the  lion,  or 
whether  his  attention  was  solely  taken  up  by  it,  re- 
mained standing  where  he  had  taken  up  his  position, 
with  his  head  projected  over  the  rock,  and  his  snoul 
pointed  towards  the  entrance  of  the  cavern. 

Next  moment  the  shaggy  front  of  the  lion  filled  th« 


»98  A    SINGULAR    ESCAPE. 

mouth  of  the  cave,  and  the  king  of  beasts  and  the  "king 
of  brutes  "  came  face  to  face  ! 

For  some  moments  they  remained  gazing  at  each 
other ;  but  the  eyes  of  the  lion  seemed  to  intimidate  the 
k'iitloa,  and  the  latter  drew  his  head  back,  and  dropped 
on  all  fours  to  the  ground.  Perhaps  he  would  have 
gone  off  from  the  spot  without  an  encounter ;  but  the 
ire  of  the  dread  monarch  had  been  aroused  by  this  in- 
trusion upon  his  rest.  For  a  moment  he  stood  lashing 
his  tawny  sides  with  his  tail ;  and  then,  crouching  until 
his  breast  touched  the  rock,  he  launched  himself  out 
from  the  ledge,  and  came  down  with  all  the  weight  of 
his  body  upon  the  broad  back  of  the  keitloa  ! 

But,  king  as  he  was,  he  had  mistaken  the  character 
of  that  "  subject,"  if  he  thought  he  was  going  either  to 
mangle  him  badly,  or  put  him  to  flight.  Sharp  as  were 
his  claws,  and  strong  his  arms  to  strike,  they  barely 
scratched  the  thick  hard  hide  of  the  pachyderm ;  and 
although  he  tried  to  "  fix  "  himself  on  the  shoulders  of 
the  latter,  he  could  not  manage  to  stick.  Had  it  been 
a  buffalo,  or  an  antelope,  or  even  the  tall  giraffe,  he 
would  have  ridden  it  to  death ;  but  to  ride  a  rhinoceros 
was  a  different  affair ;  and  he  found  it  so.  Although 
he  used  both  teeth  and  claws  to  keep  him  in  the  posi- 
tion he  had  taken,  neither  would  serve  him,  and  he  waa 
dismounted  almost  in  an  instant.  The  moment  the 
keitloa  felt  the  fierce  rider  on  its  hack,  it  made  a  doss- 
pera  e  rush  outward  from  the  rocks,  and  shaking  its 
huge  body  like  an  earthquake,  it  cast  the  lion  to  the 
plain. 

The  lion  crouched  as  if  again  to  spring;  but  the 
latter,  suddenly  turning  upon  his  antagonist,  stood  fac< 
to  face  with  him  before  he  could  effect  his  purpose. 


A    SINGULAR    ESCAPE.  199 

The  rhinoceros  did  not  pause  a  moment,  but  rushed 
on  .his  antagonist  with  his  horns  set  like  couched  lances. 
The  weight  of  his  body,  with  the  impetuosity  of  the 
charge,  would  have  driven  those  hard  sharp  weapons 
through  the  toughest  skin  that  lion  ever  wore,  and 
through  his  ribs  as  well.  The  lion  seemed  to  be  troubled 
with  some  such  idea ;  for,  instead  of  awaiting  the  onset 
of  his  enemy,  he  turned  tail — the  cowardly  brute ! — 
and  made  off'  up  the  pass,  the  keitloa  chasing  him  as  if 
he  had  been  a  cat ! 

Hendrik,  all  the  while,  had  watched  the  combat  from 
the  ledge ;  but  he  never  knew  how  it  ended,  or  whether 
*he  rhinoceros  overtook  the  lion  or  not.  The  moment 
he  saw  the  two  great  brutes  in  full  run  up  the  pass,  he 
leaped  from  the  ledge  and  ran  down  it,  with  all  the 
speed  he  could  take  out  of  his  legs. 

On  reaching  the  angle,  he  hesitated  a  moment  which 
way  to  take — whether  to  follow  back  the  spoor  of  the 
hunt,  or  the  later  tracks  of  his  horse — but  at  length  he 
decided  on  following  back  his  own  spoor  over  the  open 
plain.  He  ran  along  it  as  fast  as  he  was  able,  looking 
over  his  shoulders  at  very  short  intervals,  and  still  fear- 
ful that  the  great  black  body  would  show  itself  in  his 
rear.  He  was  agreeably  disappointed,  however.  No 
keitloa  followed  in  pursuit ;  and  soon  another  agreeable 
fact  came  under  his  notice — he  perceived  that  his  horse 
had  also  gone  back  the  same  way.  On  rounding  a 
clump  of  bushes  some  distance  farther  on,  he  saw  the 
horse  browsing  a  little  way  off  upon  the  plain. 

The  latter  permitted  himself  to  be  caught ;  and  Hen- 
drik,  once  more  mounting  to  the  saddle,  pursued  his  way 
towards  the  camp.  The  spoor  of  the  hunt  guided  him 


200  A    SINGULAR    ESCAPE. 

in  a  direct  line ;  for  the  blesboks,  it  will  be  remembered, 
ran  all  the  while  to  windward,  thus  following  a  strajghl 
course.  Hendrik  had  no  difficulty  in  following  the 
track ;  and,  after  two  hours'  riding,  got  back  to  camp, 
having  picked  up  most  of  the  dogs  on  his  way  back. 

Hans  and  Arend  did  laugh  at  him.  Groot  Willem 
did  not.  The  latter  remembered  how  his  rival  had 
acted  after  his  own  tumble  over  the  burrow  of  the 
aardwolf;  and  now  reciprocated  Hendrik's  handsome 
behavior  on  that  occasion.  Groot  Willem  and  Hen- 
drik were  likely  to  become  great  friends. 


A    TA.9T    HERD    OF   ANTELOPES. 


CHAPTER   XXX II. 

A    VAST    HERD    OF   ANTELOPES. 

NEXT  Jay  the  young  yagers  were  witnesses  tc  a.uoel 
extraordinary  spectacle ;  and  that  was,  a  vast  herd  of 
blesboks, — so  vast,  that  the  plains  appeared  literally 
covered  with  their  purple  masses  ! 

This  herd  was  not  browsing,  nor  at  rest,  but  scour- 
ing up  against  the  wind — as  those  hunted  the  day  be- 
fore had  done — and  evidently  running  as  if  some  dreaded 
enemy  in  their  rear  had  given  them  an  alarm. 

The  mass  of  bodies  was  nearly  half  a  mile  in  width ; 
but  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  estimate  its  length,  sa 
it  continued  to  pass  before  the  eyes  of  the  yagers  for 
more  than  an  hour!  On  the  animals  poured,  sometimes 
running  in  line,  and  sometimes  the  hindmost  leaping 
over  those  that  preceded  them,  moving  like  an  impetu- 
ous torrent.  All  of  them  ran  with  necks  extended  for- 
ward, their  noses  close  to  the  ground,  like  hounds  run- 
ning upon  the  scent ! 

Here  and  there  they  were  closely  packed  in  dense 
masses,  while  in  the  intervals  between,  the  bucks  were 
thinly  interspersed  ;  and  now  and  then  were  wide  breaks, 
like  an  army  marching  in  column. 

Too  cause  of  these  openings  was  simply  that  tho  in* 
9* 


202  A    VAST    HERD    OF   ANTELOPES. 

inense  diove  consisted  of  a  great  many  sepajate  ht.rda, 
all  running  by  one  impulse  ;  for  it  is  a  curious  habit  of 
the  blesboks  and  bonteboks,  that  when  one  herd  be- 
comes alarmed,  all  the  other  herds  that  chance  to  be  in 
ihe  same  plains  with  this  one,  both  to  windward  and 
leeward  of  it,  start  off  in  succession  ;  and  as  all,  from 
their  habit  of  running  up  the  wind,  must  follow  the 
same  direction,  a  constant  drove,  or  rather  a  continuous 
succession  of  droves  is  formed,  and  passes  in  open  col- 
umn before  the  spectator  who  may  be  on  either  flank. 
The  wonderful  spectacle  of  so  many  living  creatures, 
running  together  in  such  countless  numbers,  brought  tc 
mind  the  accounts,  which  the  young  yagers  had  read, 
of  the  migrations  of  the  buffalo  on  the  prairies  of 
America,  and  also  those  of  the  passenger-pigeon.  O( 
course,  the  resemblance  to  the  "  trek-boken  "  of  theii 
own  springboks,  which  all  of  them  had  witnessed,  was 
also  remembered. 

On  this  day  our  hunters  were  more  successful  than 
upon  the  preceding.  They  had  learnt  by  their  experi- 
ence of  yesterday  how  to  "jag"  the  blesbok. 

Instead  of  attempting  either  to  "  stalk "  or  "  head  " 
them,  they  found  that  the  best  plan  was  to  ride  along 
the  flanks  of  the  running  herd,  and  now  and  again 
dash  near  enough  to  fire  into  tht  thick  of  them.  The 
blesboks,  while  moving  to  windward,  will  permit  the 
hunter  to  get  within  three  or  four  hundred  yards  of 
their  flank ;  and  the  mounted  hunter,  keeping  his  horsa 
fresh,  can  now  and  then  gallop  within  shooting  distance 
before  the  moving  ma^ss  can  turn  out  of  its  course.  Fir- 
ing among  a  flock  in  this  aimless  way,  the  bullet  is  not 
always  sure  of  a  victim,  but  now  and  then  a  buck  falls 
to  the  shot. 


A    VAST    HERD    OF   ANTELOPES.  203 

Practising  this  plan,  the  young  yagers  played  upon 
the  flanks  of  the  great  herd  during  the  whole  time  of 
its  flight  to  windward;  but  notwithstanding  the  continu- 
ous cracking  of  rifles,  with  now  and  then  the  louder 
defoliation  of  Groot  Willem's  great  elephant  gun,  the 
slaughter  was  not  very  great.  Six  only  "  bit  the  dust." 
I»u(  as  in  the  six  there  chanced  to  be  an  equal  number 
of  bucks  and  does,  the  hunters  were  quite  content. 
They  were  not  "jaging"  for  the  meat,  but  merely 
to  get  specimens  of  the  horns  and  prettily-painted  skins  ; 
and  three  of  each  were  as  many  as  they  wanted. 

The  hunt  was  soon  over ;  and  as  their  horses  were 
pretty  well  "  blown,"  the  yagers  returned  at  an  early 
hour  to  camp,  taking  with  them  only  the  heads,  horns, 
and  skins  of  their  game,  with  just  enough  of  the  veni- 
son to  give  them  fresh  steaks  for  a  day  or  two. 

One  peculiarity  they  remarked  in  skinning  the  bles- 
boks — that  the  skins  of  these  beautiful  creatures  ex- 
haled a  pleasant  perfume — arising,  no  doubt,  from  the 
fragrant  plants  and  herbage  upon  which  the  animals 
feed. 

The  afternoon  was  spent  in  dressing  the  skins — by 
removing  the  fatty  flesh  that  adheres  to  them — and  they 
were  then  spread  out  to  dry.  Under  such  a  hot  sun,  a 
few  hours  was  sufficient  to  render  them  dry  enough  to 
be  ,-arried  on  tc  the  next  camp,  where  they  would  be 
spread  out  for  a  longer  period,  and  thoroughly  prepared 
for  packing  in  the  wagons. 

llendrik  and  Groot  Willem  performed  this  service ; 
but  the  preparing  of  the  heads — a  more  scientific  opera- 
tion— was  the  work  of  Hans  assisted  by  Arend.  Hans 
had  his  box  of  chemicals,  consisting  of  arsenical  &oap 


204  A    VAST    HERD    OF    ANTELOPES. 

and  several  other  noted  "preservers,"  which  he  had 
brought  along  for  this  special  purpose ;  and  by  night, 
two  pairs  of  heads,  with  the  skin  and  horns  attached, 
were  thoroughly  cleaned  and  mounted,  and  ready  for 
."jailing  up  to  the  wall. 

There  was  a  buck  and  doe  in  each  pair;  one,  of 
course,  for  the  Von  Blooms,  and  another  for  the  mausiof 
of  the  Van  Wyks. 

The  only  difference  between  the  horns  of  the  blaze- 
buck  and  the  blaze-doe  is,  that  those  of  the  latter  are 
shorter,  and  more  slender  ;  while  the  skin  of  the  doe  is 
less  vivid  in  its  coloring,  and  smaller,  as  is  also  the 
body  of  the  animal.  The  same  remark  applies  to  the 
kindred  species — the  bonteboks — of  which  brilliantly 
colored  creatures  full  sets  of  horns  and  skins  were 
obtained  the  day  after. 

On  this  occasion,  the  "  stand  and  drive  "  recommended 
by  Groot  Willem  had  been  tried  again,  and  with 
great  success ;  each  of  the  four — Hans,  Hendrik, 
Arend,  and  Groot  himself — having  shot  his  buck  as 
the  flock  dashed  up  to  their  stands.  Indeed,  Hans, 
upon  this  occasion,  had  carried  off  the  palm.  His 
double-barrel,  loaded  with  ball,  had  enabled  him  to 
knock  over  a  couple  of  the  "  painted  goats  " — as  bonte- 
boks are  sometimes  styled — right  and  left. 

The  explanation  of  their  success  in  this  hunt,  and 
their  failure  when  trying  the  same  plan  with  the 
blesboks,  is  not  found  in  any  essential  difference  be- 
Iween  the  two  species.  Their  habits  are  almost  the 
same. 

No.  Their  success  lay  simply  in  the  fact,  that  on  the 
day  when  they  jaged  the  bontebok,  there  was  no  wind 


A    VAST   nKltl>    OF    ANTELOPES.  20? 

— not  ?.  breath  of  air  Stirling.  On  this  account  the 
game  were  not  only  unable  to  run  against  the  wind, 
but,  keen  as  is  their  scent,  they  were  not  able  to  tell 
behind  which  ant-hill  lay  their  concealed  enemies. 

The  consequence  was,  that  Klaas  and  Jan  were  able 
to  drive  them  right  up  to  the  ambushed  hunters,  who 
slew  them  without  diihculty. 

The  "  stalk  "  would  not  have  succeeded  on  such  a 
day,  for  these  antelopes  trust  far  more  to  their  nose 
than  their  eyes ;  moreover,  a  correct  rifle-shot  is  very 
difficult  to  be  obtained  in  the  plains  of  the  "zuur-veldt," 
— as  the  mirage  is  almost  always  upon  them,  and  inter- 
feres with  the  aim.  So  strong  is  this  mirage,  that 
objects  at  a  distance  become  quite  distorted  to  the  eye, 
and  out  of  all  proportion.  A  secretary  bird  stalking 
along  looks  as  big  as  a  man,  and  an  ostrich  attains  the 
altitude  of  a  church-steeple.  Even  the  color  of  objects 
becomes  changed  ;  and  travellers  have  mistaken  a  pair 
of  tawny  lions  for  the  white  tilts  of  their  own  wagons 
and  have  gone  towards  them,  thinking  they  were  riding 
into  their  camp !  An  awkward  mistake,  I  should 
fancy. 

After  having  secured  their  specimens  of  the  pied  an- 
telopes, the  ycung  yagers  again  broke  up  camp,  and 
away  across  the  plains  of  the  "  zuur-veldt." 


20 €  THE   I.ONE    MOITNTAIK. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE    LONE    MOUNTAIN. 

IT  has  been  observed,  that  upon  the  plains  of  the 
ruur-veldt  country,  mountains  of  singular  forms  meet 
the  eye  of  the  traveller — cones,  domes,  square  box-like 
masses  with  table-tops ;  sharp  ridges,  like  the  roofs  of 
gigantic  houses  ;  and  some  that  pierce  the  heavens  with 
pointed  peaks  like  the  steeples  of  churches  !  Some, 
again,  present  a  horizontal  outline,  like  the  parapet  of 
a  fortification,  while  square  tower-like  masses,  rising 
above  the  general  level,  carry  out  the  idea  of  some 
Avork  of  military  architecture  on  a  grand  scale. 

Our  young  yagers  were  very  much  interested  in  these 
mountain  forms,  so  varied  and  fantastic.  Scmetimes 
their  route  led  them  along  the  base  of  a  precipice  rising 
H  thousand  feet  sheer  above  the  plain,  and  trending  for 
miles  without  a  break,  so  that  for  miles  no  access  could 
be  had  to  the  mountain  that  rose  still  higher  above. 
Sometimes  they  were  compelled  to  trek  along  narrow 
ridges  that  sloped  off  on  both  sides,  leaving  scarce  enough 
of  level  to  run  the  Avhtels  upon.  Then,  again,  they 
would  be  compelled  to  pass  around  some  spur,  that, 
shooting  for  miles  out  into  the  plain,  barred  their  direct 
path. 


THE    T.ONE    MOUNTAIN.  207 

As  they  trekeil  across  one  of  the  widest  plains  they 
had  yet  seen,  a  singularly  formed  mountain  drew  their 
attention.  It  could  scarce  be  called  a  mountain,  a~  it3 
altitude  above  the  plain  could  not  have  been  more  than 
seven  or  eight  hundred  feet ;  but  its  brown  rocky  sur- 
face gave  it  that  character,  and  to  have  styled  such  a 
mass  a  hill  would  have  been  equally  misnaming  it. 
There  were  no  "  foothills,"  or  inequalities  near  its  base. 
The  greensward  of  the  level  plain  stretched  away  on 
every  side — its  verdant  color  strongly  contrasting  with 
the  dark  brown  granite  of  the  mountain. 

The  sides  of  this  singular  mountain  sloped  from  base 
k>  summit  as  regularly  as  those  of  an  Egyptian  pyramid ; 
and  at  a  distance  it  looked  pyramidal,  but  on  coming 
nearer  its  rounded  form  could  be  perceived.  It  was,  in 
reality,  an  obtuse  cone,  perfect  in  all  except  the  apex, 
and  it  was  there  that  the  peculiarity  of  this  mountain  lay. 
Instead  of  ending  at  the  apex,  a  steeple-like  rock  rose 
out  of  the  summit  some  thirty  feet  higher,  ending  in  a 
point  that  appeared  from  below  as  "  sharp  as  a  needle." 
It  was  this  that  had  drawn  the  attention  of  the  young 
yagers  more  particularly,  as  other  mountains  of  conical 
form  were  common  enough  along  their  route ;  but  this 
one,  looking,  as  one  of  them  observed,  like  an  inverted 
f  jnnel,  differed  from  any  they  had  yet  seen.  It  was 
very  conspicuous,  thus  standing  isolated  in  the  midst  of 
the  open  plain,  and  contrasting  so  much  in  its  color  with 
:he  green  table  upon  which  it  appeared  to  rest. 

"  Let  us  go  and  explore  it,"  proposed  Arend ;  "  it 
isn't  much  out  of  our  way.  We  can  easily  overtake 
these  slow-going  oxen  again.  What  say  ye  all  ?  " 

"  Let  us  go,  by  all  means,"  said  Hans,  who  fancieJ 


^08  THE    LONE    MOUNTAIN. 

that  upon  so  odd-looking  a  mountain  he  might  fall  in 
with  some  new  plant. 

•'Agreed  ! "  cried  all  the  others  .in  a  breath,  for  when 
Hans°proposed  a  thing  it  was  usually  assented  to  by  hie 
yoanger  comrades. 

Without  further  ado  the  whole  six  turned  then 
horses'  heads  for  the  mountain,  leaving  the  wagons  to 
trek  on  across  the  plain,  towards  the  point  where  they 
intended  to  encamp. 

When  the  riders  first  faced  to  the  mountain,  it  ap- 
peared to  be  about  a  mile  off,  and  all,  except  Hans,  be- 
lieved that  it  was  not  more.  Hans  maintained  that  it 
was  jive,  and  was  unanimously  contradicted.  A  discus- 
sion  took  place,  Hans  standing  alone— five  to  one  again* 
him.  The  idea  of  its  being  more  than  a  mile  was 
scouted.  Hans  was  ridiculed— laughed  at— called  blind. 
There  was  a  little  epitome  of  the  world  on  that  plain 
—a  paraphrase  upon  a  small  scale  of  Galileo  and  his 
contemporaries. 

And  here  let  me  counsel  yon,  boy  reader,  ever  to  be 

cautious  how  you  pronounce  against  ideas  that  may  be 

put  forth,  because  they  chance  to  differ  from  those  you 

already  hold.     Half  of  what  you  have  already  learnt  is 

erroneous,  and  much  of  it  has  been  taught  you  with  an 

evil  intent.     I  do  not  refer  to  what  has  been  taught  you 

by  your  school  instructor,  who  impr.rts  knowledge  to 

you  with  the  best  of  motives.     But  the  tyrants  of  the 

earth— both  priests  and  princes— for  long  centuries  have 

had  the  moulding  of  men's  minds,  and  they  have  spared 

no  labor  to  shape  them  to  their  own  purposes.     They 

have  so  well  succeeded,  that  one  half  the  very  proverb* 

by  which  conduct  is  guided,  prove  upon  examination  to 

be  false  and  wicked. 


1HE    LONE    MOUNTAIN.  20^ 

There  is  a  peculiarity  about  the  attainment  of  kn  >wl- 
edge  which  assists  wicked  men  in  misleading  their  vic- 
tim*, and  I  would  wish  that  all  of  you  should  know  Ihn 
peculiarity.  I  do  not  claim  to  be  its  discoverer,  foi 
others  may  have  discovered  it  as  well ;  but  up  to  lliis 
hour  I  have  met  with  no  promulgation  of  it. 

It  is  this,  that  every  truth  is  overshadowed  by  a 
tophism,  more  like  the  truth  than  truth  itself.  This  law 
holds  good  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  moral, 
intellectual,  and  material  world. 

I  cannot  pause  here  to  illustrate  the  above  statement 
— not  even  to  explain  it.  But  I  hope  the  day  is  not  dis- 
tant, when  you  and  I  may  converse  upon  such  matters 
face  to  face. 

I  hope  you  believe  that  I  have  helped  you  to  some 
knowledge  ;  but  I  now  affirm,  and  in  full  seriousness, 
that,  if  you  examine  the  statement  I  have  thus  emphat- 
ically made,  and  study  it  to  a  full  understanding,  you 
will  have  gained  more  knowledge  in  that  one  sentence 
than  all  I  have  hitherto  written.  You  will  find  in  it  the 
key  to  most  of  the  errors  and  misfortunes  that  afflict 
mankind. 

In  that  sentence  you  will  also  find  a  key  to  the  dif- 
ference of  opinion  that  existed  between  Hans  and  his 
five  companions.  None  of  the  five  were  thinkers — they 
relied  entirely  on  the  evidence  of  their  senses.  A 
process  of  ratiocination  never  troubled  the  brain  of  any 
of  the  five.  Had  they  never  before  seen  a  straight  rod 
plunged  into  crystal  water,  they  would  most  certainly 
have  believed  that  the  rod  was  bent  into  an  angle — ay. 
and  have  ridiculed  any  one  who  should  have  contra- 
dicted the  evidence  of  their  senses,  just  in  the  way  thej 


210  THE    LONE   MOUNTAIN. 

now  ridiculed  Hans  for  asserting  that  an  object  was  five 
miles  off,  when  they  plainly  saw  it  was  only  a  fifth  part 
of  that  distance.  It  certainly  appeared  only  a  mile  off— 
that  is,  to  one  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  measuring 
distances  by  the  eye  in  the  ordinary  atmosphere  of  a 
icwlund  country.  But  Hans  knew  they  were  now  in  a 
region  elevated  many  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea.  Partly  from  books,  and  partly  from  his  own 
observation,  he  had  studied  the  nature  of  the  atmosphere 
at  that  altitude  ;  and  he  was  acquainted  with  the  optical 
illusions  of  which  it  is  frequently  the  cause.  He  admit- 
ted that  the  mountain  looked  near,  even  as  near  as  a 
mile  ;  but  he  held  on  to  his  original  opinion. 

Patient  as  was  the  young  philosopher,  the  ridicule  of 
his  companions  nettled  him  a  little ;  and  suddenly  pull- 
ing up  on  the  plain,  he  challenged  them  to  a  measure- 
ment. They  all  agreed  to  the  proposal.  They  had  no 
measuring  chain — not  even  a  yardstick. 

But  they  knew  that  Hans  could  tell  distances  with- 
out one;  and  having  consented  that  his  measurement 
should  be  taken,  they  all  rode  back  to  the  point  where 
the  discussion  had  commenced. 

How  was  Hans  going  to  manage  it?  By  trigonomet- 
rical triangles,  you  will  say.  Not  a  bit  of  it.  He  could 
have  told  the  distance  in  that  way  if  he  had  wished  ;  but 
he  had  a  simpler  plan.  Hans  did  not  carry  a  viamctert 
but  a  viameter  carried  him  ! 

Yes.  in  the  stout  steady-going  cob  which  he  rode,  he 
had  as  perfect  a  viameter  as  ever  was  set  to  a  wheel  j 
and  Hans  having  once  put  his  hor'e  to  the  proper  pace, 
could  tell  the  distance  passed  over  almost  as  correctly  as 
if  it  had  been  traced  by  a  chain !  There  was  a  certain 


THE    LONE    MOUNTAIN.  £U 

rate  of  speed  into  which  Haas's  horse,  when  left  to  hiiiv 
self,  was  sure  to  fall,  and  this  spec  d  was  so  many  otepa 
to  the  minute — the  steps  being  of  equal  length.  By 
either  counting  the  steps,  or  noting  the  time,  the  exact 
distance  could  be  obtained. 

Hans  had  been  in  the  habit  of  putting  his  horse  to  the 
proper  pace  for  this  very  purpose,  and  could  do  so  at  a 
minute's  warning.  So,  taking  out  his  watch  to  regulate 
the  speed  by  the  moment  hand,  he  started  forward  in  a 
direct  line  for  the  mountain. 

All  rode  after,  without  noise — so  as  not  to  disturb 
Hans  in  his  counting.  But  for  that,  they  would  have 
continued  to  gibe  him  a  little.  Only  for  a  short  while, 
however ;  for,  as  they  rode  on,  and  the  mountain  did 
not  appear  to  come  any  nearer,  their  faces  began  to  look 
very  blank  indeed. 

When  they  had  ridden  for  a  full  half-hour,  and  the 
mountain  still  looked  a  mile  off',  Hans  had  five  very 
crest-fallen  boys  moving  along  in  his  rear. 

When  they  had  ridden  nearly  another  half-hour,  and 
their  horses'  snouts  almost  touched  the  rocks  of  the 
mountain,  none  of  the  five  was  surprised  to  hear  Hana 
cry  out  in  a  loud  firm  voice : — 

"Just  five  miles  and  a  quarter !  " 

Not  a  word  was  spoken.  Not  one  of  the  five  ventured 
even  a  whisper  of  contradiction  Hans  did  not  laugh  in 
h5*  turn,  but  facing  round  simply  said, — 

*  Every  truth  is  overshadowed  by  a  sophism  more  tih 
tfo  truth  than  truth  itself!  " 


till      THK  APPROACH    TO    THE  LON  E  MOUNTAIN 


CHAPTER  XXXI  Vr. 

THE    APPROACH    TO    THE   LONE    MOUNTAIN. 

ALTHOUGH  from  a  distance  the  mountain  had  appear* ,1 
of  smooth  outlines,  now,  that  they  gazed  upward  fn*. 
its  base,  it  presented  quite  a  different  aspect.  Loo,e 
boulders  of  rock,  strewed  thickly  upon  the  slope,  ov- 
ered  its  sides  up  to  the  very  summit,  giving  it  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  gigantic  "  cairn,"  such  as  may  be  rjeen 
upon  the  tops  of  some  of  our  own  mountains.  These, 
however,  are  the  work  of  men,  while  that  upon  which 
our  yagers  gazed  looked  as  though  giants  had  erected  it. 

Among  the  loose  stones  there  was  yet  a  trace  of 
vegetable  life.  Plants  of  the  cactus  kind,  and  rare 
euphorbias,  grew  in  the  spaces  between  the  rocks  ;  and 
here  and  there  stood  a  small  tree,  with  spreading  top 
an  I  my  rtle-lii" ')  foliage,  casting  its  shadow  over  the  side 
of  the  mountain.  The  arborescent  aloe  was  also  seen, 
its  coral-red  spike  appearing  above  the  sharp  edge  of 
some  huge  boulder,  and  strongly  contrasting  with  fhs 
dull  gray  of  the  rock. 

After  contemplating  the  singular  emirienc,  for  somo 
minutes,  it  was  proposed  that  they  should  ail  ascend  to 
its  summit.  It  appeared  but  a  very  short  way.  Tlio 
path  was  not  very  steep.  A  ten  minutes'  climb  would 


THE  APPROACH    TO    THE  LONE  MOUNTAIN.      213 

euffiee.  What  a  splendid  view  they  should  have  from 
its  top  !  It  commanded  a  prospect  of  the  country  they 
were  about  to  traverse  for  the  next  three  days'  journey 
at  least.  They  might  lay  out  their  course  from  it,  and 
by  noting  landmarks,  avoid  the  detours  of  mountain- 
spurs  and  other  obstacles.  Should  they  ascend  it  ? 

Yes.  All  of  them  desired  to  do  so — some  to  enjoy 
Uie  view  ;  some  for  the  fun  of  climbing ;  and  Klaas  and 
Jan  because  they  had  seen  a  large  bird  wheeling  around 
the  summit,  which  might  be  the  king  of  birds — an  eagle  ; 
and  they  wished  to  make  a  nearer  acquaintance  with  his 
majesty. 

Hans  also  had  an  interest  in  going  up.  He  wanted 
to  examine  the  vegetation  of  the  mountain — that  ap- 
peared to  differ  essentially  from  that  of  the  surrounding 
plain — and  particularly  the  myrtle-leaved  tree  already 
mentioned. 

So  the  voice  for  making  the  ascent  was  unanimous — 
ncmine  dissentiente. 

Without  further  ado,  they  all  dismounted — for  it 
would  have  been  impossible  to  have  ridden  up  such  a 
rock-strewed  path — and  secured  their  horses  by  tying 
their  bridles  together.  This  was  their  usual  way  when 
there  was  no  tree  to  which  they  could  make  them  fast. 
The  mode  answered  well  enough.  The  animals  were 
well  acquainted,  and  on  friendly  terms,  so  that  they  did 
aot  bite  or  kick  one  another ;  and  with  their  noses  all 
turned  inward,  no  one  of  them  could  stray  off  without 
the  consent  of  the  other  five,  and  this  unanimity  could 
never  be  obtained.  Even  had  five  of  them  agreed  to 
wander  a  bit,  there  was  one  that  would  have  opposed 
such  a- conspiracy,  and  pulled  against  it  with  all  hi* 


214      THE  APPROACH    TO    THE  TONE  MOUNTAIN. 

might — one  that  would  have  remained  loyal  to  hK 
master ;  and  that  was  Hand's  steady,  sober- sided  wb, 
that  had  been  trained  to  wait  wherever  his  rider  left 
him.  Upon  many  a  botanical  excursion  had  he  carried 
hij  master,  and  often  had  stood  with  no  other  fastening 
than  the  bridle  thrown  over  his  withers,  while  the  bota- 
nist climbed  the  rocky  steep,  or  dived  into  the  thick 
hush,  to  pluck  some  rare  plant  or  flower. 

Leaving  their  horses,  the  party  commenced  the  as- 
cent. Now  their  path  lay  between  large  masses  of 
granite,  and  now  passed  over  the  tops  of  the  rocks.  It 
required  them  to  use  all  their  strength  and  agility ;  and 
although  from  below  they  fancied  they  would  reach  the 
summit  in  about  five  minutes  time,  they  were  sadly  dis- 
appointed. 

There  are  few  things  more  deceptive  than  the  ascent 
of  a  mountain.  It  is  usually  more  difficult  than  it  ap- 
pears, and  a  large  allowance  should  be  made  in  the  cal- 
culation, both  for  time  and  labor.  The  philosopher 
Hans  knew  this  very  well,  and  told  the  others  that  it 
would  take  them  a  full  half-hour  to  get  to  the  top.  Some 
of  them  were  inclined  to  ridicule  his  assertion  ;  but  they 
remembered  their  late  humiliating  defeat,  and  remained 
silent — although  they  thought  five  minutes  would  bring 
»hem  to  the  very  summit. 

At  the  end  of  five  minutes  they  began  to  change  their 
opinion  ;  and  when  three  times  five  had  passed  over, 
they  found  they  were  still  but  half-way  up  the  slope ! 

Here  they  halted,  and  five  minutes  were  spent  in 
u  puffing  and  blowing." 

Hans  had  now  an  opportunity  of  examining  the  tree 
that  so  interested  him,  for  they  had  stopped  under  th« 
shade  of  one. 


FHB  APPROACH   TO    THE  LONE  MOUNTAIN.      21 5 

It  was  not  a  large  tree,  nor  could  it  be  called  a  very 
Handsome  one ;  but  for  all  that  it  proved  to  be  of  a  most 
interesting  character.  It  was  much  branched  with  small 
(eaves,  of  a  pale  green  color,  and  in  their  general  effect 
having  a  resemblance  to  the  myrtles.  Its  flowers,  too, 
were  small  and  inconspicuous.  It  chanced  to  be  in 
flower  at  the  time,  and  this  enabled  the  botanist  to  de- 
termine its  character.  It  belonged  to  the  order  Santa- 
lacece,  or  "  sandal- woods  ;  "and  was  a  species  of  Santalum, 
closely  allied  to  the  Santcdum  album  of  India,  which 
yields  the  sandal-wood  of  commerce. 

They  all  knew  what  sandal-wood  was,  as  they  had 
seen  various  "  knick-knacks  "  manufactured  out  of  this 
famous  wood  ;  but  they  knew  not  whence  it  came,  or 
what  sort  of  tree  produced  it.  Hans,  however,  taking 
advantage  of  the  halt,  gave  them  this  information  : — 

"  The  sandal-wood,"  he  said,  "  is  produced  from  a  tree 
of  the  same  genus  as  the  one  now  above  us.  It  grows 
in  the  mountainous  parts  of  the  Malabar  country,  and 
also  in  the  islands  of  the  Indian  Archipelago.  It  is  a 
small  tree,  rarely  growing  to  a  foot  in  diameter.  Its 
wood,  as  you  know,  is  highly  prized  on  account  of  its 
agreeable  fragrant  smell ;  and  because  this  fragrance 
not  only  keeps  it  from  decaying,  but  also  preserves  any 
material,  such  as  clothes,  silk,  and  other  articles  that 
may  be  in  contact  with  it,  from  insects  or  rust.  In  con- 
sequence  of  this  quality  of  the  sandal-wood,  it  is  in  great 
demand  for  making  boxes,  cabinets,  and  such  articles  ol 
furniture  ,  and,  on  account  of  its  agreeable  odor,  it  ia 
also  manufactured  into  fans  and  necklaces  wl.ich  com- 
mand  high  prices. 

"  The  Brahmins  u.-e  it  in  their  sacrifices  to  the  god 
Vishnu,  to  scent  the  oil  employed  iu  '.he  ceremony." 


216      THE  APPROACH   TO    THE  LONE  MOUNTAIN. 

"  Are  there  not  two  kinds  of  sandal-wood  ?  "  inquired 
Klaas.  "  Sister  Wilhelmina  has  a  box  of  it  and  a  neck- 
lace, too.  They  were  brought  from  India  by  Uncle, 
but  they  are  very  different.  The  box  is  white,  and  the 
beads3  of  the  necklace  are  of  a  beautiful  yellow  color — 
maybft  they  are  dyed." 

u  No,"  answered  Hans,  "  they  are  not  dyed.  There 
are  two  kinds,  white  sandal-wood  and  the  yellow  sort, 
and  it  has  been  said  that  they  were  the  produce  of  dif- 
ferent trees.  This  is  not  the  case,  however.  Although 
there  is  more  than  one  species  of  Santalnm  that  produces 
the  sandal-wood  of  commerce,  the  white  and  yellow 
kinds  are  taken  from  the  same  tree.  The  reason  of  the 
difference  is,  that  towards  the  heart  of  the  tree  where 
the  wood  is  older,  and  especially  down  near  the  root,  the 
color  is  of  a  deep  yellow  ;  whereas  the  young  wood  that 
lies  outwardly  is  nearly  white.  The  yellow  part  is 
harder,  more  fragrant,  and,  of  course,  more  valuable. 

"  When  these  trees  are  felled  for  their  wood,  the  bark 
is  at  once  stripped  off  and  the  trunk  buried  for  nearly 
two  months — which  strengthens  its  odor,  and  renders  it 
more  agreeable." 

While  Hans  was  giving  these  interesting  details,  the 
others  took  out  their  knives ;  and  each  cutting  a  branch 
from  the  sandal-tree,  applied  it  to  his  nose,  and  then 
tasted  it. 

But,  though  they  could  perceive  its  fragrant  smell, 
they  found  it  perfectly  insipid  to  the  taste.  Hans  said 
it  was  so  with  the  Santalnm  album  or  true  sandal-wood 
of  India — that,  notwithstanding  its  sweet  perfume,  it  is 
i[uite  tasteless. 

He  further  informed  them  that  the  name  "  sandal- 


THE  APPROACH    TO    THE  LONE  MOUNTAIN.      217 

tfood"  is  not  derived  from  the  use  to  which  the  wood  is 
jometimes  put — that  of  making  sandals.  On  the  con- 
trary, these  derive  their  name  from  the  wood  itself.  The 
true  derivation  of  the  word  is  from  the  Persian  "san- 
dul,"  which  signifies  useful,  in  relation  to  the  valuable 
qualities  of  the  timber.  The  sandal-wood  of  the  Sand- 
wich Islands,  added  Hans,  is  procured  from  two  species 
different  from  Santalum  album. 

The  yagers,  having  now  rested  a  suiRcient  time,  again 
faced  up  the  mountain,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  after  atood 
opon  its  top. 


SI  8  THE    LITTLE    11  If  RAX. 


CHAPTEll  XXXV 

THE    LITTLE   HYRAX 

IT  i*  not  quite  correct  to  say  that  they  blood  upon  ihe 
lummit  They  had  reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  but  still 
above  them  rose  the  steeple-like  rock  which  they  had 
observed  from  the  plain,  and  whose  odd  appearance  had 
allured  them  to  the  spot. 

A  singular  rock  it  was,  rising  full  thirty  feet  above 
the  summit  of  the  mountain.  Its  sides  were  nearly  ver- 
tical, but  scored  and  seamed  as  if  the  rain  had  worn  its 
surface  into  furrows.  Jt  gradually  narrowed  upward, 
until  it  ended  in  a  point  not  four  inches  in  diameter; 
but  along  its  sides  from  top  to  bottom  similar  points 
stood  up ;  so  that  the  whole  structure — if  we  may  call 
it  so — bore  a  strong  resemblance  to  a  Gothic  turret, 
rising  in  the  midst  of  many  others  that  stood  out  from 
its  base  and  along  its  sides. 

It  appeared  inaccessible  to  any  other  creature  than  a 
cat,  a  monkey,  or  a  winged  bird ;  and  of  course  not  one 
of  the  party  thought  of  such  a  thing  as  climbing  it 
That  would  have  been  a  perilous  undertaking. 

After  they  had  satisfied  themselves  in  gazing  at  this 
singular  geological  phenomenon,  they  commenced  mov- 
ing around  its  base  to  the  opposite  side.  It  was  not  so 


THE    LITTLE    HYRAX.  21S 

easy  to  get  round  it,  as  huge  sharp  boulders  covered  the 
whole  scarp  of  the  hill  around  its  base,  and  they  had 
either  to  mount  over  these,  or  push  themselves  through 
the  narrow  interstices  between. 

Before  they  had  got  quite  round,  however,  an  object 
came  under  their  eyes  that  caused  them  to  halt,  and  re- 
ciuin  tor  some  time  in  an  attitude  of  observation. 

About  half-way  down  the  hill  rested  a  rock  of  vast 
dimensions,  whose  sharp  angular  top  rose  higher  than 
those  around,  and  commanded  the  view  of  a  broad  space 
of  the  mountain-side.  Upon  the  top  of  this  rock  was 
perched  a  very  large  bird — full  as  large  as  a  turkey- 
cock.  Its  plumage  was  of  a  deep  black  color,  except 
over  the  back,  where  there  was  a  patch  as  white  as 
Bnow  covering  the  shoulders.  The  feathers  upon  the 
legs  reached  to  the  very  toes,  and  were  of  brown  color. 
The  toes  appearing  beneath  were  of  a  bright  yellow. 

The  general  outline  of  its  form — the  abrupt  curving 
of  the  beak — the  full-rounded  tail — the  strong  broad 
wings,  and  the  feathered  legs,  looking  as  though  the 
bird  wore  trowsers — were  all  characteristic  points  that 
told  its  species. 

"  An  eagle ! "  exclaimed  the  hunters  as  soon  as  they 
saw  it. 

It  was  an  eagle,  and  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind.  It 
was  the  great  vulture-eagle  of  Verreaux,  (Aquila  Ver- 
reauxii.)  This  bird  no  doubt  it  was  that  Klaas  and 
Jan  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  as  they  approached  the 
mountain. 

It  was  scarce  two  hundred  yards  from  the  boys,  and 
although  they  had  been  making  a  considerable  noise 
while  passing  over  the  rocks,  it  had  not  heard  them,  and 


220  THE    LITTLK    HYRAX. 

still  sat  without  noticing  their  proximity.  That  would 
have  been  strange  for  a  bird  so  shy  as  an  eagle  ;  but  it 
was  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  it?  attention  at  the 
mcmer.t  Denied  to  be  taken  up  with  something  <  !se 
This  was  evident  from  the  attitude  in  which  it  sat,  or 
rather  stood,  with  claws  firmly  clenched  upon  the  edge 
of  the  rock,  and  neck  stretched  forward  and  downward. 
It  was  evidently  eyeing  some  object  below,  in  which  it 
took  a  deep  interest. 

Its  back  was  turned  upon  the  hunters,  and  offered  a 
t'air  mark  ;  but  it  was  far  beyond  point-blank  range  of 
any  of  their  guns,  except  perhaps  the  roer.  Groot 
Willem,  however,  might  have  reached  it,  but  at  such  a 
distance  and  with  so  small  a  mark  a  bullet  from  the 
smooth  bore  would  have  been  little  better  than  a  chance 
shot. 

Groot  Willem  was  about  to  try  it,  however ;  but 
Hans  begged  of  him  to  hold  his  fire  a  little  longer,  so 
that  they  might  watch  the  movements  of  the  eagle — 
which,  from  its  odd  attitude,  was  evidently  meditating  to 
surprise  some  victim  below. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  victim  was  also  in  sight — 
appearing  suddenly  upon  a  little  terrace,  some  twenty 
or  thirty  yards  farther  down  the  mountain.  It  was  a 
small  quadruped,  of  a  grayish  brown  color,  darker  above, 
and  of  lighter  tint  beneath.  It  had  the  look  of  a  rabbif, 
though,  considerably  larger  than  one,  thicker  in  the  body, 
and  without  the  long  ears.  It  stood,  moreover,  not  so 
high  on  its  legs,  and  these  appeared  much  bent  as  it 
walked.  Like  the  rabbit,  its  hair  was  of  a  thick  woolly 
n-Uure,  though  long  scattered  silky  hairs  rose  above  the 
£<  neral  surface  of  its  furry  coat  It  was  entirely  with 


THE    LITTLE    IIIKAX.  221 

out  a  tail ;  and  the  four  claws  of  its  fore  feet  were  not 
claws,  but  nails  resembling  little  hoofs  ?  On  the  hind- 
feet  it  had  but  three  toes ;  the  inside  one  of  each  ending 
in  a  regular  claw. 

Of  course,  these  peculiarities  were  not  noticed  by  the 
spectators  at  the  moment,  as  the  little  quadruped  waa 
beyond  the  reach  of  such  minute  observation.  They 
were  communicated  afterwards  by  Hans,  who  knew  the 
animal  well. 

Altogether  it  was  by  no  means  an  interesting  animal 
to  look  at  externally ;  yet  in  its  internal  structure  it  was 
one  of  the  most  interesting  upon  the  globe. 

In  that  small  round  woolly  creature,  timid  as  a  mouse 
— now  making  abrupt  runs  across  the  little  platform — 
now  stopping  short  in  its  career,  to  nibble  a  leaf  of  some 
plant,  or  to  look  suspiciously  around — in  that  insignifi- 
cant quadruped  the  young  yagers  beheld  a  near  relative 
of  the  big  brutal  rhinoceros  !  Yes  ;  though  without  any 
horn  upon  its  snout,  and  without  the  naked  skin — the 
teeth,  the  skull,  the  ribs,  the  hoof-like  toes,  the  whole 
internal  structure  of  the  animal  in  question,  prove  it  to 
be  a  rhinoceros !  —  a  regular  pachyderm  !  So  says 
Frederick  Cuvier. 

"  What  a  wonderful  triumph,"  saiu  Hans,  "  the  closet 
naturalists  have  had  in  this  discovery !  '  What  a  tri- 
umph of  anatomy,'  says  M.  Cuvier,  '  that  proves  thia 
supposed  rodent  to  be  a  rhinoceros  ! '  In  my  opinion  it 
is  rather  a  proof  of  the  weakness  of  M.  Cuvier's  ana- 
tomic theories  ;  for  here  is  a  creature,  witli  all  the  teeth 
ol  a  rhinoceros,  and  all  the  manners  of  a  rabbit ! 

'*  Instead  of  the  bold  brutal  nature  of  the  rhinoceros 

rushing  out  without  provocation,  attacking  und  but- 


222  THE    LITTLE    HYRAX. 

ting  at  whatever  comes  in  its  way — here  we  have  a  sh) 
timid  creature,  that  takes  to  flight  on  the  slightest  sus- 
picion of  danger,  and  seems  to  be  frightened  at  ita 
very  shadow.  Why,  it  affords  the  most  absolute  prool 
of  the  uncertainty  of  the  teeth  and  bones  as  a  guide  to 
the  mode  of  life  of  any  animal.  In  all  animated  nature 
a  better  illustration  could  not  be  found  of  the  fallacy  of 
M.  Cuvier's  arguments  than  this  same  hyrax — for  so 
the  quadruped  is  called — and,  despite  the  opinion  of  the 
celebrated  French  savant,  I  still  believe  the  little  crea- 
ture to  be  more  of  a  rabbit  than  a  rhinoceros."  So 
spoke  Hans  Von  Bloom.  It  was  bold  language  for  so 
young  a  naturalist ! 

It  is  true  there  was  much  reason  in  his  holding  to 
the  opinion  that  the  hyrax  is  no  pachyderm.  Its  habits 
are  so  unlike  those  of  the  thick-skinned  brutes — its  mode 
of  life  so  different  from  that  of  a  rhinoceros. 

Its  habits  are  very  simple,  and  can  be  told  in  a  few 
words.  It  is  gregarious  ;  dwells  upon  the  mountains, 
and  in  the  most  rocky  places  ;  makes  its  den  in  the  crev- 
ices and  caves  that  are  found  there,  steals  forth  to  eat 
or  bask  in  the  sun  ;  runs  timidly  and  with  a  shy  suspi- 
cious look  ;  feeds  on  grass  and  leaves  of  plants,  and  is 
fond  of  those  of  aromatic  properties  ;  can  escape  from 
most  carnivorous  quadrupeds,  but  is  successfully  preyed 
upon  by  birds,  and  especially  by  the  vulture-eagle — the 
species  already  describe «!.  Such  is  the  history  of  the 
"  daman,"  or  "  hyrax.  '  u  dassie,"  "  rock-badger,*  or 
*  rock-rabbit  " — by  all  of  which  names  the  creature  laa 
figured  in  books. 

It  is  one  of  those  anomalies  that  cannot  be  classed 
with  other  quadrupeds,  and  lias  been  constituted  a  getiui 


THE    LITTLE    HtKAX.  Sf2 

tf  iteelf.  Two  species  are  known,  differing  very  slightly 
from  each  other.  They  are  Hyrax  Syriacus  and  Co- 
pensis,  or  the  Syrian  and  Cape  hyrax. 

One  ot  the  most  interesting  facts  in  relation  to  thi.« 
quadruped  is,  that  the  Syrian  species  is  most  probably 
Ihe  "  coney  "  of  the  Scriptures.  In  fact,  the  description 
can  apply  to  no  other  existing  animal. 

I  have  said  that  all  this  knowledge  was  obtained  after- 
wards from  the  philosopher,  Hans. 

Just  then  there  was  no  time  for  such  observations ; 
for  the  hyrax,  with  two  or  three  of  its  companions,  had 
scarce  appeared  from  the  platform,  when  the  eagle  shot 
down  from  the  rock,  and  swooped  right  into  the  midst 
of  them. 

The  boys  heard  the  shrill  cry  of  the  little  quadru- 
peds, as  the  shadowy  wings  covered  them;  and  ex- 
pected to  see  the  eagle  rise  with  one  of  them  in  its 
talons. 

They  were  disappointed,  however,  as  well  as  the  bird 
itself.  The  "  rock-rabbits  "  had  been  too  quick  for  their 
well-known  and  dreaded  enemy ;  and  before  the  eagle 
was  able  to  put  a  claw  into  their  wool,  they  had  all  scat- 
tered, and  rushed  within  the  safe  shelter  of  their  dark 
caves. 

Of  course,  they  were  not  coming  out  any  more  thai 
afternoon.     The  eagle  seemed  to  have  this  very  idea 
for,  rising  into  the  air  with  a  scream  of  disappointment, 
it  flew  olf  towards  the  other  side  of  the  mountain. 


THE    KLirSPRINGERB. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE    KLIPSPRINGERS. 

[N  hopes  of  getting  a  shot  at  it  on  the  wing,  the  boys 
crouched  behind  the  boulders  as  it  flew  round,  holding 
their  guns  in  readiness.  It  passed  them  at  too  great  a 
distance,  and  none  of  them  fired. 

They  expected  to  see  it  fly  off,  and  wing  its  way  to- 
wards the  neighboring  mountains — as  it  could  only  be 
a  stray  visitor  to  the  hill,  some  hungry  old  eagle  oul 
upon  a  hunt. 

It  was  about  to  do  this  ;  for  it  had  already  risen  to  a 
considerable  elevation,  and  was  heading  away,  when  all 
at  once  it  stopped  suddenly  in  its  flight,  and  balanced 
itself  for  some  moments  in  the  air,  with  neck  bent  down- 
ward, a*-  if  it  had  taken  a  fresh  interest  in  some  object 
that  had  j  ist  eome  under  its  eye  below. 

Had  the  rock-rabbits  ventured  forth  again?  No.  It 
could  not  be  they ;  for  the  eagle  was  hovering  over  a 
IhTc.rent  quarter — quite  the  opposite  side  of  the  moun- 
tain. If  rock-rabbits  were  in  sight,  they  must  be  a  dif- 
ferent party.  That  was  not  improbable.  There  might 
be  others  upon  the  mountain.  And  yet  the  eagle  would 
not  hover  above  them  in  that  \vay.  The  habit  of  this 
species  is  not  to  "  swoop  "  from  on  high,  but  to  watch 


THE    KL1PSPUINGERS.  225 

from  a  pertu  upon  some  neighboring  rock,  and  du*b 
upon  the  hyrax,  when  it  comes  out  to  feed  or  bask — 
precisely  as  the  boys  had  seen  it  do. 

So  quick  is  the  rock-rabbit  in  escaping  to  its  retreat 
that  even  an  eagle,  darting  from  a  high  elevation,  would 
fail  to  clutch  it.  Had  there  been  rock-rabbits  below, 
they  would  have  perceived  the  great  black  bird  above, 
and  would  have  secured  themselves  at  once.  It  could 
not  be  they  that  were  now  occupying  the  attention  of 
the  vulture-eagle. 

It  was  not  they.  Hans,  who  with  his  double-barrel 
had  hoped  to  obtain  a  shot  at  the  eagle,  and  had  crept 
ahead  of  his  companions  to  the  other  side  of  the  tower- 
rock,  saw  that  it  was  not  rock-rabbits  that  had  caused 
the  eagle  to  pause  in  its  flight,  but  some  creatures  of  a 
very  different  character. 

About  half-way  down  the  slope  grew  a  sandal-wood 
tree,  one  of  the  largest  upon  the  mountain,  with  a  full 
bushy  top.  Directly  under  this  tree  was  a  mass  of 
tabular  rock,  with  a  smooth  top,  quite  horizontal,  and 
several  yards  in  length  and  breadth.  Over  this,  and 
nearly  covering  its  whole  extent,  the  sandal-wood  threw 
its  protecting  shadow ;  so  that  while  the  hot  sun  baked 
down  upon  the  surrounding  slope,  the  surface  of  the 
rock  was  kept  shaded  and  cool.  It  was  just  such  a  spot 
as  one  would  have  chosen  tr  have  rested  upon,  com 
manding  a  far  view  of  plains  and  picturesque  mountains; 
and  sweetly  shaded  from  the  burning  noonday  beams — 
just  such  a  spot  as  the  contemplative  mind  would  have 
desired,  and  in  which,  freed  from  care,  it  could  have  de- 
livered itself  up  to  pleasant  meditations. 

<)n3  cannot  help  fancying  that  many   of  God's  w  ild 
10* 


226  THE    KLIPSPUINGEHS. 

creatures,  in  selecting  their  haunts  and  homes,  have  aa 
eye  to  the  picturesque.  I  can  tell  at  a  glance  the  cliff 
in  which  an  eagle  will  make  its  eyrie,  the  glade  that  will 
be  haunted  by  the  stag  or  the  fallow-deer,  the  tree  under 
which  he  will  repose,  and  oft  times  it  has  appeared  o  ma 
that  these  favorite  haunts  are  chosen  by  animals  lew 
for  the  security  they  afford,  than  for  the  pictureequ* 
beauty  that  surrounds  them. 

One  could  hardly  have  fancied  that  lone  wild  moun- 
tain— that  smooth  table-rock — that  fragrant  sandal- 
wood  tree — without  some  living  thing  placed  there  by 
Nature  to  enjoy  the  scene,  and  give  life  to  the  picture — 
which  would  otherwise  have  been  incomplete. 

It  was  not  incomplete.  It  was  crowned  and  perfect. 
The  shade  of  the  sandal-wood  fell  not  in  vain.  Upon 
the  surface  of  the  table-rock  was  a  groyp  of  living 
creatures  born  to  enjoy  that  wild  and  lovely  scene — • 
created,  as  it  were,  to  give  a  finish  to  the  picture. 

There  were  three  individuals  in  this  group — three 
quadrupeds  of  a  kind  that  had  not  been  seen  by  the 
young  yagers  since  the  setting  out  of  their  expedition. 
Though  these  animals  wore  a  similar  coat  of  hair,  and 
were  of  the  same  yellowish  olive  color,  all  three  were 
of  different  sizes.  The  largest  was  scarce  so  tall  as  a 
pointer-dug,  while  the  smallest  was  still  less  than  a  tiny 
young  kid.  The  second  was  not  half-way  between  the 
two,  but  nearly  equal  in  size  to  the  largest.  The  princi- 
pal difference  between  the  latter  two  lay  in  the  fact  thai 
the  large  one  had  a  pair  of  horns  upon  its  head,  which 
the  other  wanted.  There  were  no  horns  neither  upon 
their  tiny  little  companion.  For  all  this  difference,  the 
three  were  evidently  of  the  same  genus  and  species,  nay 


THE   KUPSl'RINOKRS.  22" 

yvarer  relations  still — of  the  same  family.  They  were 
n  family  of  klipspringers. 

Hans  knew  at  once  it  was  the  k.ipsprin^er,  (  Orcotrof 
•jus  saltutrix,)  and  so  did  all  the  others — for  this  interest- 
ing antelope  is  still  found  within  the  settled  districts  of 
the  Cape  Colony — wherever  high  inaccessible  cliffs  and 
rock -covered  mountains  afford  it  a  secure  retreat  from 
dog,  hunter,  and  hyena. 

Among  the  many  interesting  forms  of  the  antelopa 
tribe,  that  present  themselves  in  South  Africa,  the  klip- 
springer  is  not  the  least  interesting.  Though  a  very 
small  creature,  and  of  no  great  value  to  the  hunter,  it 
differs  so  much  in  its  haunts  and  habits  from  others  of 
the  antelope  race,  as  to  make  it  an  object  of  curiosity, 
even  where  it  is  common  and  often  seen.  Unlike  the 
oryx,  the  gnoo,  the  hartebeest,  the  blesbok,  the  eland, 
and  a  host  of  others,  the  klipspringer  never  appears 
upon  the  plain.  It  is  purely  a  mountain-dwelling  ani- 
mal, and  the  crag  and  cliff'  are  its  favorite  haunts. 
There  it  is  safe  from  the  carnivorous  beasts — the  lion, 
the  hyena,  the  wild  hounds,  and  the  jackal — none  of 
which  can  reach  its  secure  retreat  upon  the  ledges  of 
the  beetling  precipice.  Even  the  leopard  cannot  fol- 
low it  there — notwithstanding  his  recurved  claws  that 
enable  him  to  climb  like  a  cat.  On  the  steep  cliffs,  and 
along  the  dizzy  heights,  the  klipspringer  has  no  equal  in 
South  Africa ;  he  can  scale  them  as  no  other  quadruped ; 
he  fears  no  four-footed  beast  of  prey.  Three  birds 
alone  are  his  dangerous  enemies — and  these  are  the 
eagle  of  Verreaux,  the  Kaffir  eagle,  and  the  lammer- 
geyer. 

Tfce  klipspringer  stands  about  twenty  inches  in  height 


228  THE    KLIPSPRINGERS. 

is  strongly  and  compactly  built,  with  stouter  limbs  than 
the  small  antelopes  of  the  plain.  His  horns  are  but 
four  inches  in  length,  rise  vertically  up  from  his  head> 
and  incline  slightly  forward.  They  are  wrinkled  at  the 
base,  and  ringed  in  the  middle.  The  hair  that  covers 
his  body  is  long,  wiry,  and  thickly  placed  upon  the  skin 
and  standing  out  upon  end,  gives  the  animal  somewhat 
of  a  porcupine  appearance.  The  color  is  a  nearly  uni- 
form yellowish  olive,  caused  by  the  individual  haira 
being  ash-colored  at  the  base,  brown  in  the  middle,  and 
yellow  at  the  tips.  One  of  the  most  characteristic  pointa 
about  the  klipspringer  is  the  formation  of  its  hoofs. 
These,  instead  of  being  long  and  pointed — as  is  the  case 
with  most  antelopes — are  cylindrical  in  form,  and  rest 
vertically  upon  their  bases.  They  are  jagged  at  the 
edges — so  as  to  give  the  animal  the  power  of  adhering 
to  the  smoothest  rock,  without  danger  of  slipping. 
Like  every  piece  of  Nature's  handiwork,  they  are 
perfectly  adapted  to  the  use  for  which  they  are  in 
tended. 

The  klipspringer  is  not  gregarious ;  but  is  seen  ir 
pairs,  or  families,  as  they  now  appeared  under  the  eye* 
of  the  young  yagers. 

When  Hans  first  noticed  them,  they  were  in  different 
attitudes.  The  buck  was  standing  upon  the  rock  look- 
ing oui,  over  the  plain  below,  but  had  not  as  yet  per- 
ceived the  eagle — as  the  thick  leafy  top  of  the  sandal- 
wood  interposed  between  him  and  it. 

The  doe  was  lying  down  ;  while,  kneeling  beside  her 
and  drawing  nourishment  from  her  teats,  was  the  little 
k  idling. 

Presently,  the  black  shadow  of  the  soaring  bird  passed 


THE    KLTPSPRINGKRS.  228 

ovei  the  greensward  of  the  plain.  It  moved  under  the 
eyes  of  the  buck,  who,  perceiving  it,  started  suddenly, 
uttered  a  kind  of  hissing  snort,  and  struck  the  rock  with 
his  hoof.  This  movement  on  his  part  brought  the  doe 
at  once  to  her  feet,  as  well  as  the  little  fawn ;  and  all 
three  stood  in  an  attitude  of  observation,  turning  their 
eyes  now  upon  the  shadow  below,  and  now  glancing 
suspiciously  above.  After  a  moment  they  all  com- 
menced leaping  about,  though  they  still  kept  upon  the 
rock.  They  saw  the  eagle,  for  it  had  now  moved  out 
some  distance  over  the  plain,  so  that  the  foliage  of 
the  tree  was  no  longer  interposed  between  it  and 
them. 

It  was  just  at  this  moment  that  the  eagle  had  paused 
in  its  flight,  and  hung  poised  in  the  air.  It  had  for  the 
first  time  placed  its  eyes  upon  the  klipspringers. 

In  a  moment  the  rapacious  creature  perceived  the 
little  fawn,  cowering  close  behind  the  body  of  its  mother; 
and  without  more  ado,  the  bird  directed  its  flight  down- 
ward ;  and,  when  nearer,  swooped  straight  at  the  group 
upon  the  rock. 

Sudden  as  was  the  dash  of  the  bird,  it  was  a  fruit- 
less effort,  and  it  rose  again  without  having  made  a 
victim. 

But  when  the  spectators  looked  for  the  antelopes,  not 
one  of  the  three  remained  upon  the  table,  where  they 
aad  stood  the  moment  before  !  As  quick  as  the  flight 
of  the  bird,  all  three  had  sprung  off  from  the  rock,  and 
thus  escaped  from  its  dreaded  claws. 

One  would  have  supposed  that  the  klipspringers 
would  have  hid  themselves  in  crevices,  as  the  conies 
bad  done.  Not  so.  All  three  were  seen-— each  standing 


230  THE    KLIPSPRTNGEUS. 

conspicuously  upon  the  top  of  a  rock,  and  seeming  U 
await  the  further  action  of  the  bird.  With  heads  erect, 
and  eyes  turned  upward,  they  stood,  evidently  expecting 
a  renewal  of  the  attack.  The  eagle,  after  hovering 
around  and  calculating  its  distance,  swooped  again. 

In  this  fresh  attempt  of  the  tyrant  the  little  fawn 
al)ne  was  aimed  at.  Had  it  been  the  others,  they 
would  have  sprung  out  of  reach  as  before ;  and  so,  too, 
did  the  fawn  repeatedly,  bounding  from  rock  to  rock, 
with  the  elasticity  of  an  india-rubber  ball.  But  the 
wily  bird  continued  the  attack,  turning  each  time  in 
shorter  circles,  until  the  tiny  limbs  of  the  youthful  ante- 
lope trembled  with  weariness.  During  all  this  time  the 
old  ones  leaped  about,  bounding  high  in  the  air,  and 
descending  upon  the  sharpest  edges  of  the  rocks,  as  if 
they  had  alighted  from  a  flight  with  wings.  The  object 
of  their  movements  evidently  was  to  draw  the  attack 
of  the  eagle  upon  themselves,  and  thus  save  their  off- 
spring. 

It  was  to  no  purpose,  however.  The  cunning  rav- 
isher  preferred  making  a  victim  of  the  kid,  and  paid  no 
attention  to  the  manoeuvres  of  the  old  ones.  No  doubt, 
there  were  eaglets  on  the  neighboring  mountain,  and 
the  tenderest  venison  was  wanted  for  their  dinner. 

At  all  events,  the  eagle  continued  to  assail  the  poor 
little  fawn,  until  the  latter  had  no  longer  strength  lef* 
to  leap  from  the  rock  upon  which  it  had  taken  its  last 
stand. 

Another  dash  made  the  eagle — a  last  and  final  swoop. 
Its  talons  closed  like  a  cramp  upon  the  vertebrae  of  the 
tiny  quadruped,  which  the  next  moment  was  oon.e  aloft 
into  the  air  2 


THE    KLIPSPRINGERS.  2<V. 

A  shrill  sad  bleating  was  heard  from  below — drowned 
for  an  instant  by  the  discharge  of  several  guns,  whose 
reports  echoed  like  thunder  from  the  rocks ;  and  then 
(he  winged  robber,  with  his  victim  still  clutched  in  hi« 
tiilons,  was  seen  falling  with  fluttering  wings  to  the 
with! 


HUNTING    THE    KLIPSFKtKOEl 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

HUNTING    THE    KLIPSPBINGEB. 

THE  eagle  dropped  not  far  from  the  summit;  and 
the  boys,  running  down  to  the  spot,  found  it  lying  quite 
dead,  with  the  little  klipspringer — also  dead  of  course — 
still  fast  in  its  claws.  The  talons  sunk  deeply  into  the 
flesh,  embraced  the  spine,  and  even  in  death  the  fierce 
bird  had  not  relaxed  its  hold  ! 

Some  would  have  considered  the  death  of  the  eagle 
a  just  punishment ;  but,  then,  what  was  its  crime  ?  It 
is  true,  it  had  killed,  and  would  have  carried  away,  the 
little  fawn  of  an  innocent  antelope — one  of  the  most 
harmless  of  creatures.  But  what  else  could  it  have 
done  ?  Nature  had  taught  it  to  sustain  itself  in  this 
way.  Perhaps  it  had  a  nest  on  the  brow  of  some  beet- 
ling precipice — for  this  vulture-eagle  of  South  Africa  ia 
a  dweller  upon  rocks,  and  not  a  iree-eagle — perhaps  in 
this  nest  it  had  a  pair  of  downy  little  eaglets,  each  with 
an  appetite  like  that  of  an  ostrich — perhaps  they  were 
expecting  that  very  kid,  or  some  similar  dish,  for  din- 
ner ;  and  would  have  been  very  hungry  without  it — 
might  have  died  of  hunger  ?  What,  then,  could  the 
parent-bird  do  but  provide  them,  though  at  the  expense 
of  other  parents  just  as  much  attached  to  their  offspring 


HUNTING    THE    KLIPSPRINGEB.  233 

is  an  eagle  could  be  ?  How  can  it  be  regarded  as  a 
crime  ?  The  eagle  did  not  wantonly  destroy  the  ante- 
lope, but  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger.  It  only 
obeyed  one  of  the  laws  of  Nature. 

Cruel  laws  they  do  seem ;  yet,  if  they  be  crimes, 
Nature  herself  is  answerable.  Alas  !  we  cannot  com- 
prehend, and,  I  fear,  in  this  life  never  will  comprehend, 
why  we,  the  creatures  of  the  earth,  are  born  to  prey 
upon  one  another.  A  puzzle  to  the  humane  heart  is 
that  "  chain  of  destruction." 

Wanton  killing  of  animals  is  a  crime ;  and  our 
hunters,  at  first  sight,  might  be  thought  chargeable  with 
this  in  having  wantonly  shot  down  the  eagle.  Such 
was  not  the  case,  however.  They  did  not  do  so  out  of 
any  feeling  of  wantonness.  They  had  a  proper  object 
in  shooting  the  bird.  It  WHS  the  representative  of  a 
rare  and  little-known  species,  and  the  possession  of  ity 
skin  for  scientific  purposes  had  something  to  do  with 
the  fatal  aim  that  brought  it  down — for  it  was  from  the 
double-barrel  of  the  naturalist  the  shot  was  sent  that 
destroyed  it. 

By  the  act  the  klipspringers  had  been  avenged, 
though  there  was  little  idea  of  giving  them  vengeance 
in  the  minds  of  the  young  hunters.  Quite  the  contrary; 
for  in  five  minutes  after,  the  whole  six — buck-dogs  and 
all — were  in  full  chase  after  these  creatures,  as  ready 
to  rob  them  of  their  lives  as  they  had  been  to  take  away 
that  of  their  winged  snemy. 

Nor  was  it  out  of  wantonness  either,  or  the  mere  love 
of  hunting,  though  that  might  have  been  the  principal 
motive  with  one  or  two  of  the  party.  But  there  was  a 
curiosity  about  these  little  antelopes,  and  a  desire  tc 


234  HUNTING    THE    KLIPSPKINGER. 

examine  them  more  closely,  that  urged  the  young 
yagers  to  attempt  their  destruction.  They  desired  to 
possess  their  trophies. 

You  may  wonder  why  they  should  care  about  the 
horns  of  a  klipspringer,  since  it  is  not  one  of  the  rare 
antelopes  within  the  boundaries  of  the  settlements  I 
True,  the  animal  itself  is  not  rare  ;  but  it  is  a  rare  oc- 
currence, when  one  falls  before  the  bullet  of  the  hunter 
— as  the  klipspringer  is  as  shy  and  wary  as  the  chamois 
itself — and,  dwelling  in  the  most  inaccessible  places,  it 
is  difficult  game  to  capture.  Hence,  the  killing  of  a 
klipspringer  is  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  feat,  and  its 
little  horns  are  by  no  means  an  ordinary  trophy. 

The  young  yagers,  therefore,  wanted  the  pair  belong- 
ing to  the  buck  that  was  now  leaping  over  the  rocks 
below. 

Some  minutes  were  spent  in  deliberating  as  to  what 
would  be  the  best  mode  of  getting  possession  of  them. 

At  the  report  of  the  guns  both  the  klipspringers  had 
gone  farther  down  the  mountains,  and  were  now  standing 
upon  a  large  boulder  near  its  base. 

Hendrik  proposed  that  the  party  should  dash  right 
down  after  them — dogs  and  all — and  force  them  out 
into  the  plain,  whore,  it  was  well  known,  they  could 
make  but  a  poor  run,  and  would  be  easily  overtaken  by 
the  buck-dogs. 

This  plan  seemed  feasible.  The  antelopes  were  very 
D2ar  thi!  base  of  the  mountain.  The  hunters  coming  or 
them  from  above  could  easily  drive  them  into  the  plain ; 
ttid  then  there  would  be  a  run  between  them  and  the 
logs,  of  which  a  fine  view  would  be  obtained. 

Off  started  the  whole  party,  directing  their  course 


HUNTING    THE    KLIPSPRINGER.  23J 

Wraight  down  the  mountain  to  the  point  where  the  klip- 
epringers  were  seen.  The  dogs  were  set  free,  and 
sprang  forward  in  advance. 

The  hunters  moved  on  as  fast  as  the  nature  of  the 
ground  would  permit  them ;  and  in  ten  minutes  would 
have  been  near  enough  to  the  klipspringers  to  h&v^ 
6red,  had  the  latter  favored  them  by  remaining  in  their 
place.  But  they  did  not  do  so.  Of  course,  they  had  a 
full  view  of  their  enemies  as  they  advanced  ;  and  before 
the  hunters  had  got  half-way  down,  the  nimblt,  game  set 
off  round  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  flitting  from  rock  to 
rock  like  a  brace  of  birds. 

What  seemed  odd  in  their  mode  of  progressing  was, 
that  instead  of  running  along  the  open  spaces  between 
the  fragments  of  rock,  they  chose  the  rocks  themselves 
for  their  path,  and  of  these  also  the  most  prominent 
ones ;  so  that  their  flight  was  a  succession  of  bounds, 
some  of  them  of  enormous  length !  Many  of  the  bould- 
ers, on  which  they  rested  a  moment,  and  from  which 
they  sprang  again,  were  so  narrow  at  the  top,  that  the 
little  creatures  hardly  obtained  room  for  their  feet ;  and, 
with  their  four  hoofs  touching  each  other,  they  would 
spring  off  as  though  moved,  not  by  muscular  power,  but 
under  the  influence  of  some  elastic  force  ! 

At  first  the  hunters  believed  their  task  to  be  an  easy 
one.  The  mountain  surface  was  of  so  limited  an  extent, 
they  would  soon  surround  the  game,  or  force  it  out  upon 
the  plain.  The  first  attempt  to  do  so,  however,  had 
ended  in  a  failure.  The  klipspringers  had  escaped 
without  difficulty  to  the  other  side,  and  were  now  farther 
off  than  ever  i 

The  hunters  called  up  the  dogs,  recrossed  the  summit, 


236  HUNTING    THE    KLIPSPKINGEK. 

and  once  more  set  their  eyes  ipon  the  game,  perched  w 
before  upon  prominent  points. 

A  second  time  the  party  advanced,  spreading  as  they 
went  down,  and  holding  their  guns  in  readiness ;  but 
long  before  they  were  within  range,  the  klipspringers 
took  to  flight  again  ;  and,  just  as  they  had  done  Vefore. 
passed  around  the  base  to  the  other  side  of  the  moun- 
tain. Of  course,  the  dogs,  scrambling  clumsily  among 
the  rocks,  were  no  match  for  such  game  as  they  ;  and 
even  had  the  klipspringers  been  near  enough  for  tho 
guns,  the  most  accomplished  riflemen  could  not  have 
"  sighted  "  them,  so  quick  were  their  motions.  The  only 
chance  of  the  yagers  lay  in  their  shot-guns,  and  to 
have  hit  them,  even  with  these,  would  have  been  a 
feat  equal  to  the  bringing  down  a  snipe  or  woodcock. 

Once  more  the  boys  attempted  to  drive  them  into  the 
open  plain ;  but  with  the  same  result  as  before.  Al- 
though the  hunters  had  spread  themselves  across  the 
mountain,  the  nimble  game  dashed  past  them,  and  es- 
caped to  the  other  side. 

Groot  Willem  now  proposed  a  new  plan.  That  was 
for  all  to  descend  the  mountain  to  its  base,  and  there 
make  a  complete  surround  of  it.  Then  each  to  march 
straight  up,  and,  by  hemming  the  game  on  all  sides,  force 
thsm  to  the  summit. 

"  In  this  way,"  added  Groot  Willem,  "  we'll  at  least 
have  a  crack  at  them ;  for  if  they  try  to  get  back  through 
our  line,  they  must  pass  near  some  of  us." 

Groot  Willem's  suggestion  was  adopted.  The  yagen 
now  descended  to  the  base  of  the  mountain ;  and, 
separating,  spread  around  it  at  equal  distances  from  one 
another.  The  buck-dogs  were  also  distributed  ;  on« 


HINTING    THE    KL1FSPRINGEB.  2o7 

going  with  each  hunter,  except  Klaas,  who  had  no  dog 
to  accompany  him.  Since  the  affair  with  the  blauwbok^ 
there  had  been  only  five  in  the  pack. 

Thus  placed,  the  boys  recommenced  the  ascent.  The/ 
proceeded  with  proper  caution,  keeping  each  other  b 
view,  and  shouting  from  time  to  time  words  of  instruc- 
tion as  to  the  position  of  the  game.  These  were  seen 
bounding  before  them,  from  rock  to  rock — now  crossing 
the  mountain  to  the  opposite  side,  with  the  intention  of 
escaping  in  that  way — now  zigzagging  along  the  sides, 
or  bounding  upward  toward  the  summit. 

When  the  hunters  had  advanced  about  half-way  up, 
the  klipspringers  became  frightened  in  earnest.  They 
saw  that  they  were  encompassed  on  every  side  ;  and 
sprang  to  and  fro  like  a  pair  of  grasshoppers. 

At  length  they  seemed  determined  to  run  the 
gauntlet  through  the  circle  of  hunters,  and  made  a 
bold  dash  in  the  direction  of  Hans.  The  naturalist, 
although  not  professing  to  be  much  of  a  hunter,  was  a 
capital  shot ;  and,  raising  his  double-barrel,  he  fired. 

The  doe  fell  to  the  crack ;  and  the  buck,  suddenly 
turning  as  on  a  pivot,  once  more  bounded  up  the  slope. 
The  dogs  had  already  gained  a  distance  ahead  of  their 
masters,  and  now  advanced  upon  the  buck  from  all 
sides.  There  seemed  no  chance  left  him  of  avoiding 
their  onset. 

He  had  mounted  a  boulder  near  the  base  of  the  towr.r 
rock ;  and  the  five  were  rushing  upon  him  with  open 
jaws,  and  shining  teeth,  when,  all  at  once,  as  if  impelled 
by  a  spring,  he  shot  upward  to  a  narrow  ledge  of  the 
vertical  rock,  far  beyond  their  reach.  The  ledge  was 
•carcely  wide  enough  to  have  given  footing  to  a  weasel. 


288  HUNTING    THE    KLIPSPKINGEK. 

and  yet  the  klipspringer  seemed  to  feel  quite  secuns 
upon  it.  But  he  did  not  rest  there.  The  shouts  of  the 
hunters,  as  they  hurried  up  the  mountain,  impelled  him 
tart  her ;  and  springing  to  a  still  higher  ledge,  and  to 
another  still  higher,  he  stood  at  length  upon  the  pinnacle 
of  the  rock  ! 

A  shout  of  surprise  broke  from  the  hunters  as  they 
witnessed  this  wonderful  feat.  And  a  singular  spectacle 
h  was.  As  already  stated,  the  tower  rock  ended  in  a 
point  scarce  four  inches  in  diameter ;  and  upon  this 
stood  the  klipspringer,  his  hoofs  pressed  closely  together, 
his  neck  drawn  in,  his  body  gathered  into  a  ball,  with 
the  stiff  wiry  hair  radiating  on  all  sides  outward,  likj 
the  spines  of  a  hedgehog — a  curious  object  to  look 
upon ! 

Although  the  hunters  were  now  within  shot,  so  odd 
did  the  creature  appear  thus  placed  that  not  one  of  them 
thought  of  drawing  trigger  upon  it.  They  knew  that 
they  had  the  buck  in  their  power — the  dogs  were  all 
around  him — and  at  such  a  height,  full  thirty  feet  from 
the  ground,  it  could  not  escape.  All  therefore  held 
their  fire,  and  ran  forward  to  the  bottom  of  the  tower. 

They  had  made  a  sad  mistake  about  the  powers  of 
that  klipspringer.  As  they  were  congratulating  them- 
selves on  having  trapped  the  buck  in  so  odd  a  manner, 
he  was  seen  to  shoot  out  into  the  air,  and,  with  a  whiz- 
zing noise  like  that  made  by  some  great  bird,  he  parsed 
close  to  their  ears,  and  lit  upon  the  boulder  from  which 
he  had  bounded  up !  Scarce  an  instant  did  he  res! 
there,  but  sprang  to  another,  and  another,  and  in  a  few 
»econds  was  far  down  the  side  of  the  mountain ! 

So  sudden  had  been  this  movement  on  the  part  of  th« 


HUNTlNrt    TMfc    KLIPSPRINGER.  $33 

game,  and  so  unexpected,  that  both  dogs  and  hunters 
were  taker,  by  surprise,  and  not  a  shot  was  fired  until 
the  klipspringer  was  beyond  reach !  Just  at  that  mo- 
ment, as  they  stood  watching  his  retreat,  a  puff  of  smoka 
was  noticed  far  down  the  mountain — a  gun  ciacked  at 
the  eaiue  instant — and  the  buck  was  seen  to  tumble 
tiwyJlong  from  a  rock  ! 

With  fresh  surprise  the  hunters  turned  to  one  an- 
other. "  Who  ?  "  exclaimed  all  simultaneously.  Ha  ! 
there  were  only  five  of  them.  One  was  missing  ! 

"  It's  Klaas  ! " 

It  was  Klaas  beyond  a  doubt — Klaas  who  had  killed 
the  klipspringer. 

Kiaas  had  given  an  illustration  that  the  "  race  is  not 
always  to  the  swift."  He  was  rather  a  heavy  boy,  was 
Klaas ;  and  feeling  fatigued  at  so  much  climbing,  had 
seated  himself  on  a  stone,  and  was  taking  a  bit  of  a  rest, 
when  he  observed  the  klipspringer  standing  upon  a  rock 
right  before  his  face.  Having  his  light  fowling-piece 
loaded  with  buckshot,  he  had  taken  aim,  and  dropped 
the  buck  from  his  perch. 

Jan  was  not  a  little  jealous,  and  insinuated  that  it 
was  a  bit  of  "  luck "  not  very  well  deserved ;  but 
whether  it  wad  luck  or  not,  Klaas  had  certainly  killed 
the  klipspringer,  and  was  not  a  little  elated  at  his  per- 
formance. 

Having  collected  the  game,  the  young  yagers  pro- 
ceeded to  where  they  had  left  their  horses ;  and,  mount- 
ing, galloped  off  after  the  wagons  that  were  moving 
slowly  ac'ross  the  distant  plain. 


BOLD    BIRDS 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

BOLD    BIRDS. 

ON  the  third  day  after  entering  the  plains  of  the 
*  zuur-veldt,"  the  yagers  treked  to  the  banks  of  a  large 
river,  and  followed  its  course  up-stream.  The  scenery 
was  altogether  new  and  of  a  different  character  to  that 
of  the  plains.  The  river  was  fringed  with  reeds  and 
willows,  and  beyond  these  stretched  a  wide  bottom  land 
of  meadow-like  character,  studded  with  groves  and 
copses  of  green  trees,  whose  foliage  was  grateful  to  the 
eye  after  the  journey  over  the  dry  plains.  Here  the 
deceitful  mirage  no  longer  tantalized  them  with  prospects 
of  verdant  groves  and  smooth  limpid  lakes.  Both 
existed  in  reality ;  and  a  succession  of  lovely  landscapes 
met  the  eyes  of  the  travellers  as  they  advanced. 

The  grass  upon  the  banks  of  this  river  was  excellent, 
and  in  order  that  their  cattle  should  have  the  opportu- 
nity of  a  good  feed,  the  party  formed  camp  at  an  early 
hour.  They  outspanned  in  a  little  meadow,  directly  by 
•be  edge  of  the  water,  and  made  a  fire  out  of  the  stems 
S>f  the  willows  that  grew  near. 

Jan  and  Klaas  noticed  a  large  flock  of  birds  hovering 
above  the  water,  and  swooping  about,  something  in  th« 
same  manner  as  swallows  on  a  summer  evening  ove* 
the  surface  of  an  English  lake. 


BOLD    BIRDS.  24l 

The?  were  hii  Js  of  a  moderate  size — scarcely  so  big 
as  a  common  pigeon — nor  was  there  any  thing  in  their 
color  to  make  them  attractive.  They  were  rather  a 
dull-colored  set  of  birds  for  Africa,  being  reddish-brown, 
with  a  mixture  of  white  and  gray;  but  had  they  been 
near  enough  for  the  boys  to  have  observed  their  feet 
and  legs,  these  with  the  "  cire  "  around  their  eyes,  would 
have  appeared  of  a  beautiful  orange-yellow  color. 

There  was  one  peculiarity  about  these  birds,  which 
could  be  observed  at  a  great  distance,  and  that  was 
their  "  forked "  tails.  In  this  respect  they  might  also 
be  said  to  resemble  swallows,  but  the  forking  was  far 
less  acute  than  in  the  tails  of  the  latter.  There  was 
enough  of  it  to  give  the  birds  a  character ;  and  that, 
with  their  general  form  and  the  color  of  their  plumage, 
made  it  easy  enough  to  tell  to  what  genus  the  birda 
belonged.  They  were  birds  of  the  genus  Fato,  (hawks,) 
belonging  to  that  section  of  it  distinguished  as  Milvus, 
(the  kites.) 

Of  the  kites  there  are  several  species,  but  the  partic- 
ular one  to  which  these  before  the  eyes  of  Klaas  and 
Jan  belonged,  was  the  "parasite  kite,"  (Milvus  ater,) 
an  inhabitant  of  all  parts  of  the  continent  of  Africa,  and 
a  bird  somewhat  smaller  than  the  royal  kite  of  Europe. 

Both  these  bird-boys  knew  that  the  birds  were  hawks 
of  some  kind,  but  they  could  not  tell  what  sort.  "When 
Hans  told  them  that  they  were  "  kites,"  they  both  be- 
came doubly  interested ;  and,  guns  in  hand,  stood  near 
the  water's  edge  watching  the  manoeuvres  of  the  long- 
winged  fork-tailed  creatures. 

To  a  superficial  observer  it  might  have  appeared  that 
these  kites  were  merely  playing  themselves;  now  poised 
11 


242  BOLD    BIRDS. 

and  hovering  in  the  air,  now  floating  softly  aloi.g,  and 
at  intervals  shooting  down  until  they  "  dipped "  them- 
selves in  the  water  of  the  stream.  Any  one,  however, 
who  had  closely  watched  them  for  a  time  would  soon 
have  perceived  that  they  were  not  going  through  thest 
mano3uvres  for  simple  amusement.  Each  time  that 
one  of  them  made  a  plunge  into  the  water,  it  might  be 
observed  that  in  rising  again,  it  carried  a  shining  object 
in  its  talons,  which  object  was  neither  more  nor  less 
than  a  tiny  little  fish.  Fishing,  then,  was  what  the 
u  parasites "  were  after ;  and  not  for  amusement,  as 
anglers  do,  but  following  it  as  a  regular  calling — in  fact, 
following  it  for  food. 

Not  that  fish  forms  the  only  food  of  this  species  of 
kite.  No  ;  it  will  eat  almost  any  thing, — little  quadru- 
peds, birds,  reptiles,  and  even  carrion,  upon  a  pinch. 
It  is,  however,  very  fond  of  fish  ;  and,  when  it  chances 
to  reside  in  a  country  of  waters,  where  fish  are  plenteous 
and  easily  procured,  it  follows  the  calling  of  a  fisher 
pretty  regularly. 

Klaas  and  Jan  stood  for  some  time  expecting  to  get 
a  shot ;  but  as  none  of  the  birds  came  near  enough, 
they  at  length  gave  up  all  hope,  and  laid  aside  their 
guns. 

Shortly  after,  dinner  was  ready,  and  all  the  boys  sat 
down  upon  the  wagon-chests,  and  commenced  eating 
Their  dinner  that  day  consisted  of  a  very  nice  dish — 
that  is,  the  flesh  of  the  great  South  African  bustard 
(Otis  tarda)  or  wild  peacock,  (wilde  pauw.)  as  they 
themselves  termed  the  bird.  Groot  Willem  had  that 
morning  shot  this  fine  game,  at  very  long  range,  with 
his  "roer;"  and  but  for  the  far  "carry"  of  his  gun 


BOLD    BIRDS.  243 

Ihey  would  not  have  procured  the  bird — -for  the  wild 
peacock  is  one  of  the  shyest  kinds  of  game  birds,  and 
scarcely  ever  rests  within  shooting  distance  of  any  cover 
by  which  it  may  be  approached.  Large  as  it  is,  it  ia 
esteemed  the  most  delicate  eating  of  South  African 
birds,  and  almost  equal  to  the  wild  turkey  of  America. 

Now  the  young  yagers  had  roasted  this  precious 
tnoiceau,  had  carved  it,  and  each  was  sitting  with  a 
piece  in  hand — one  with  a  wing,  another  having  the 
"  drumstick,"  a  third  the  "  merrythought,"  a  fourth  the 
"  pope's  nose,"  and  so  on.  Of  course  they  were  in  a 
high  state  of  enjoyment  over  such  "  titbits." 

While  engaged  in  this  pleasant  way,  they  were  as- 
tonished to  see  the  whole  flock  of  kites  come  suddenly 
swooping  over  the  camp.  Klaas  and  Jan  were  the 
more  astonished,  since  they  had  been  for  some  half-hour 
vainly  endeavoring  to  get  within  shot  of  these  very 
birds.  Now  there  would  have  been  no  difficulty  about 
that,  for  the  parasites  not  only  came  within  shooting 
distance,  but,  actually  and  litera-lly,  flew  in  the  very 
faces  of  the  boys  !  Yes ;  they  would  swoop  right  up 
until  within  a  few  feet  of  the  diners,  then  poise  them- 
selves upon  their  wings,  spread  out  their  tails,  turn  over 
on  their  backs,  and  execute  sundry  other  eccentric 
manoeuvres  that  put  the  six  yagers  into  fits  of  laughter 
Of  course  Swartboy  joined  in  the  chorus,  and  even  the 
grave  Kaffir  grinned  at  the  ludicrous  spectacle. 

But  it  did  not  end  here.  After  a  while  the  birds 
grew  bolder  and  bolder;  at  each  swoop  they  came 
nearer ;  until  at  length  several  of  them  actually  snatched 
pieces  of  the  bustard's  flesh  out  of  the  very  hands  of 
those  that  were  eating  it !  Verily  did  they  illustrate 
the  old  adage  of  "many  a  slip  between  cup  and  lip." 


244  BOLD    BIRDS. 

Even  the  dogs  were  made  victims  of  these  bold  little 
robbers,  who  swooped  forward  to  their  very  muzzles, 
and  snatched  at  the  bones  they  were  crunching. 

TLis  curious  scene  continued  for  some  time.  It  would 
have  ended  sooner,  had  the  business  been  in  the  hands 
of  Klaas  and  Jan.  Both  these  boys,  at  the  first  ap- 
proach of  the  birds,  had  started  up  to  get  their  gung, 
but  they  were  withheld  from  using  them  by  the  others, 
and  especially  by  Hans — who  was  desirous  of  observing 
these  curious  little  hawks  with  the  eye  of  a  naturalist. 

After  a  while  the  bird-boys  were  allowed  to  "  blaze 
away  ; "  and,  what  is  still  more  singular,  their  repeated 
shots  did  not  completely  frighten  off  the  parasites,  though 
several  were  killed  !  Even  some  that  must  have  been 
wounded — since  the  feathers  had  been  knocked  out  of 
them — returned  again  and  again  to  hover  above  the 
camp,  with  eyes  fixed  eagerly  upon  the  scraps  of  meat 
that  had  been  left  lying  upon  the  chests ! 

A  little  incident  was  yet  to  occur  of  a  still  more  ludi- 
crous character. 

Hans  had  that  day  shot  a  pigeon  of  very  beautiful 
plumage,  which  is  peculiar  to  the  interior  of  South 
Africa,  and  whose  wings  and  body  are  of  a  deep  green 
color.  This  species  is  somewhat  rare,  and  Hans  waa 
desirous  of  preserving  the  skin  and  having  it  mounted. 
After  dinner,  therefore,  he  had  skinned  it ;  and  having 
thrown  its  flesh  to  the  dogs,  he  was  still  at  work  upon 
the  skin,  taking  out  the  brains. 

Klaus  and  Jan,  satiated  with  sport,  had  desisted,  and 
laid  aside  their  guns — the  consequence  of  which  was 
that  the  parasites  had  returned  in  great  numbers,  ami 
fco\v  exhibited  as  much  effrontery  as  ever. 


BCLD    BIRDS.  ZIO 

Ml  at  once,  one  of  them  seeing  Hans  engaged  with 
the  pigeon,  and  thinking  no  doubt  that  the  body  of  the 
birrl  was  still  in  its  skin,  made  a  sudden  dash,  drove  its 
claw  through  the  feathery  mass,  and  carried  off  the  skin 
in  triumph !  Hans,  whose  eyes  had  been  closely  bent 
upon  his  work,  saw  nothing  of  the  approach  of  the  little 
winged  robber;  and  for  some  moments  believed  that 
one  of  the  boys,  out  of  a  "  lark,"  had  snatched  the 
pigeon  from  his  fingers.  It  was  not  until  he  locked 
around,  and  then  up  into  the  air,  that  he  w.-r-  aware  of 
the  real  culprit ;  and  although  all  rushed  to  their  guns, 
the  pigeon-skin  could  not  be  recovered — as  the  kite,  on 
seizing  it,  rose  high  into  the  air,  and  then  carried  it  off 
10  the  other  side  of  the  river ! 

As  not  a  bit  of  flesh  remained  in  the  skin,  and  aa 
Hans  had  succeeded  in  extracting  even  the  brains,  no 
doubt  the  parasite  soon  discovered  that  las  pigeon  was 
no  hetter  than  a  "  decoy ! " 


216  THE    WATERBUCK. 


CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

THE    WATERBUCK. 

THE  bank  upon  which  the  yagers  had  encamped  wa* 
about  five  or  six  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  aa 
it  now  stood.  The  bank  on  the  opposite  side  also  rose 
above  the  water  level ;  but  on  both  sides  there  was  a 
break  or  declivity  that  sloped  down  into  the  channel. 
These  breaks  corresponded  with  each  other.  They 
were  not  natural  gorges,  but  had  evidently  been  made 
by  heavy  animals,  such  as  rhinoceroses  and  others,  that 
were  in  the  habit  of  coming  either  to  drink  or  ford  the 
river  at  this  point.  The  tracks  of  many  kinds  of  ani- 
mals could  be  distinguished  leading  down  to  the  water 
or  up  into  the  meadow — so  that  the  place  was  evidently 
a  "drift,"  or  crossing-place  for  the  wild  beast?  of  the 
country  around. 

Perhaps  at  night  many  would  cross  here,  and  Hendrik 
and  Groot  Willem  had  resolved  to  watch  that  night  and 
have  a  little  moonlight  sport.  A  moon — and  a  very 
6ne  moon — was  expected  ;  for  the  queen  of  the  heavens 
was  nearly  in  the  full  at  the  time,  and  the  sky  all  thai 
day  had  been  without  a  cloud. 

But  they  were  destined  to  enjoy  a  little  sport  befora 
the  moon  aro?' — even  befc~e  the  sun  had  gone  down. 


THE   WATEEBUCK.  247 

While  engaged  around  the  wagons,  their  attention 
was  attracted  by  a  movement  among  the  reeds  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river.  There  was  also  an  open 
space  on  that  side  corresponding  to  the  meadow  in 
which  they  were  encamped.  Around  the  opening  grew 
H  thick  brake  of  tall  reeds,  interspersed  with  willowa 
and  other  low  trees.  It  was  among  these  reeds  that  the 
movement  was  observed. 

Presently  a  large  animal  came  out  of  the  covert,  and 
Btepped  boldly  forward  into  the  open  ground,  where  the 
short  sward  enabled  them  to  see  it  from  horn  to  hoof — 
for  it  was  a  creature  with  hoofs  and  horns — without 
doubt  an  antelope. 

It  was  a  species,  however,  which  none  of  the  party 
had  ever  seen  before — an  antelope  of  majestic  form  and 
elegant  proportions. 

It  stood  nearly  five  feet  in  height  by  full  nine  in 
length,  and  its  geneial  color  was  a  greyish  sepia  brown. 
Its  face,  however,  was  of  a  deeper  brown  around  the 
bases  of  the  horns  and  over  the  frontlet  tinged  with 
rufous.  The  lips  and  muzzle  were  white ;  a  white 
patch  marked  the  throat;  a  white  streak  was  before 
each  of  the  eyes;  and  a  curious  oval  band  of  white 
encircled  the  tail.  The  hair  over  all  the  body  waa 
harsh,  more  resembling  split  whalebone  than  hair ;  but 
that  which  covered  the  neck  was  longer  than  the  rest, 
and  stood  out  all  around  like  a  mane  on  end.  The 
horns  were  nearly  three  feet  in  length, "and  curved  first 
upwards  and  then  slightly  inwards.  They  were  closely 
ringed  to  within  six  inches  of  their  tips,  and  of  a  whilish 
green  color.  The  tail  of  the  animal  was  about  eighteen 
inches  in  length  with  a  tuft  at  its  tip. 


248  THE    WATERBUCK. 

Th(3  shape  and  set  of  the  horns,  the  rigid  hair  that 
grew  all  around  the  throat  and  neck,  and  the  elegant 
upright  bearing  of  this  antelope,  enabled  the  naturalist 
Hans  to  tell  his  companions  to  what  species  it  belonged. 
It  was  the  famed  "  waterbuck,"  (Aigocerus  eUipsiprym- 
nus.) 

I  have  said  "  famed  "  antelope,  because  the  waterbuck 
is  in  reality  one  of  the  finest  and  most  famous  animals 
of  the  whole  tribe. 

Its  name  would  seem  to  imply  that  it  was  a  dweller 
in  the  water.  Such,  however,  is  not  the  case.  It  is 
called  waterbuck  because  it  is  never  found  far  from  the 
banks  of  a  river  or  other  water,  in  which  it  delights  to 
plunge,  and  bathe  itself  during  the  hot  sunshiny  houra 
of  the  day.  Of  course  it  is  an  excellent  swimmer,  and, 
indeed,  such  confidence  has  it  in  its  powers  of  swim 
ming,  that  when  hunted  or  pursued  by  whatever  enemy, 
it  makes  directly  for  the  river  and  plunges  in,  no  matter 
what  depth  may  be  the  water.  It  is  the  habit  of  many 
species  of  deer  to  make  for  water  when  hunted,  but  with 
them  the  object  is  to  throw  the  hounds  oiF  the  scent, 
and  having  once  crossed  a  river,  they  continue  on 
through  the  woods.  Now  the  waterbuck  does  not  leave 
the  river  for  any  great  distance.  It  either  swims  down- 
stream, or,  having  gone  out  on  the  opposite  bank,  re- 
turns to  it,  after  making  a  short  detour  through  the 
woods.  It  seems  to  regard  the  water  as  its  haven  of 
Bafety,  and  when  overtaken  usually  stands  at  bay  in  the 
very  middle  of  the  stream- 

Tt  loves  to  dwell  along  rivers  where  there  are  marshy 
banks  covered  with  tall  sedge  and  reeds ;  and  at  certain 
reasons  of  the  year,  when  these  are  partially  inundated 


THE   WATF.UBCCK.  2  IS 

Ae  waterbuck  is  rarely  seen — as  it  then  makes  its 
haunt  in  the  very  heart  of  morasses  which  are  impene- 
trable to  the  hunter.  Its  long  spreading  hoofs  enable 
it  to  pass  with  safety  over  marshy  grounds,  where  othei 
species  of  antelopes  would  be  "mired"  and  destroyed. 

The  waterbuck  has  been  classed  by  naturalists  with 
tti  tf:lopes  of  the  aiyocerine,  or  goat-horned  group;  but 
it  differs  greatly,  both  in  horns  and  habits,  from  any  of 
these,  and  deserves  to  be  ranked  as  an  antelope  mi 
ye/ten's.  If  it  were  established  as  a  separate  genus,  it 
would  not  stand  alone,  since  another  "  waterbuck  "— 
evidently  a  second  species — has  been  discovered  by  late 
explorers  a  little  farther  to  the  north,  upon  the  shores 
of  the  Lake  Ngami.  The  latter  is  termed  by  the  natives 
the  "  leche,"  and  in  the  shape  of  its  horns,  and  most  of 
its  habits,  it  bears  a  decided  generic  resemblance  to  the 
Aigocerus  ettipsiprymnus. 

Still  a  third  species  of  waterbuck  has  turned  up 
during  the  recent  explorations  to  the  afore-mentioned 
lake  ;  but  this,  though  in  habit  very  similar  to  the  others, 
differs  widely  in  regard  to  its  physical  characteristics. 
Its  horns  are  of  the  spiral  form,  greatly  resembling 
those  of  the  koodoo,  (Strepsiceros  koodoo,)  and  natural- 
ists are  disposed  to  class  it  in  the  genus  Tragelaphus. 
Its  name  among  the  natives  is  "nakong." 

The  reason  why  none  of  our  young  hunters  were 
personally  acquainted  with  the  waterbuck  was,  that 
none  of  them  had  ever  seen  it  before  ;  and  the  reason 
why  none  of  them  had  seen  it  was,  because  it  is  not 
found  in  any  part  of  the  country  through  which  they 
had  hitherto  travelled.  It  is  altogether  a  tropical  of 
sub-tropical  species,  loves  a  warm  climate,  and  doe*=  no! 
11* 


250  THE    WATERBUCK. 

range  so  far  south  as  the  Cape  settlements.  It  is  po» 
sible  that  there  may  be  other  species  by  the  rivers  thai 
run  through  the  unknown  interior  of  Africa ;  for  be- 
tween that  southern  territory,  which  has  been  yet  ex« 
plored,  and  the  Great  Saara,  there  lie  many  stranga 
countries,  and  many  strange  creatures,  of  which  the 
geographer  and  the  naturalist  yet  know  nothing. 

So,  my  boy  reader,  if  you  should  be  desirous  at  any 
period  of  your  life  to  achieve  the  reputation  of  a  Bruce, 
a  Park,  a  Denham,  a  Clapperton,  or  a  Lander,  you 
need  not  fear  the  want  of  an  opportunity.  There  is  still 
enough  of  "  unexplored  Africa  "  to  employ  adventurous 
spirits  for  perhaps  a  century  to  come.  At  all  events 
the  ardent  naturalist  will  find  plenty  of  ECM  ground  up 
to  the  new  year's  day  of  2000  !  That  I  can  safrlj 
guarantee. 


THE    RAVENOUS    REPTILE.  251 


CHAPTER  XL. 

THE    RAVENOUS    REPTILE. 

ALL  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  beautiful  aniical  as  it 
approached  the  river.  With  light  majestic  step  it  ad' 
vanced  to  the  bank,  and  without  pausing  walked  down 
the  slope.  It  had  no  fear  of  the  water,  and  stepped 
into  it  without  hesitation. 

The  boys  were  in  hopes  that  it  intended  to  cross  the 
river.  On  the  opposite  bank  it  was  too  distant  for  the 
"  carry  "  of  their  guns — even  the  elephant  roer  could 
not  have  sent  a  bullet  to  that  side  with  any  chance  of 
hitting.  Should  the  antelope  cross,  however,  the  case 
would  be  different.  It  might  then  come  within  range 
of  their  pieces ;  and,  to  make  sure,  Hendrik  and  Groot 
Willem  had  stolen  under  the  cover  of  the  reeds,  and 
advanced  nearer  the  crossing-place. 

They  were  doomed  to  disappointment,  however. 
The  waterbuck  had  no  intention  of  crossing.  It  had 
come  to  drink ;  and  having  waded  in  knee-deep,  it 
stopped,  and  dipped  its  muzzle  into  the  water  for  that 
purpose. 

With  disappointed  looks  the  boys  remained  gazing 
apon  it  as  it  drank. 

Now  it  chanced  that  close  to  the  spot  where  the  buck 


252  THE    RAVENOTS    UEP11LK, 

bad  entered  the  water  there  was  a  black  log.  It  laj 
along  the  water  in  a  direction  parallel  to  the  bank,  and 
seemed  to  be  floating — though  only  a  small  portion  of 
it  appeared  above  the  surface.  Saturated  with  (lie 
wafer,  as  it  must  have  been,  its  weight  perhaps  had 
thus  partially  immersed  it.  The  boys  had  given  no 
heed  to  this  log.  It  was  the  half-decayed  trunk  of 
some  tree — perhaps  the  black-barked  acacia — that  had 
been  carried  down-stream  during  flood-time,  and  hud 
made  a  lodgment  in  the  little  bay,  where  the  path  entered 
the  water.  Of  course  to  such  an  ordinary  circumstance 
the  boys  gave  no  heed.  Neither  did  the  waterbuck. 
Ah!  false  security!  Better  for  the  antelope  had  it 
heeded  that  log  !  Better  for  it  had  it  "  looked  before 
leaping,"  and  carefully  scrutinized  that  black-barked 
thing — for  black  though  it  was,  it  was  not  the  log  of  any 
acacia.  Thai  log  was  alive  ! 

To  the  astonishment  of  all  the  boys,  and  no  doubt  to 
the  far  greater  astonishment  of  the  waterbuck,  the  dark 
object  suddenly  became  endowed  with  motive  power, 
and  was  seen  to  dart  forward  with  the  velocity  of  an 
arrow  towards  the  spot  where  the  animal  was  drinking. 
It  was  no  longer  a  log,  but  a  hideous  reptile — a  croco- 
dile of  gigantic  dimensions ! 

The  boys  expected  to  see  the  waterbuck  rear  back 
and  attempt  to  escape.  No  doubt  so  it  would  have  done, 
Lad  the  crocodile  missed  its  aim,  but  the  latter  had  not 
missed.  On  the  cortrary,  it  had  seized  the  muzzle  of 
the  antelope  in  its  long  gaunt  jaws,  and  was  proceedirg 
to  drag  its  victim  under  the  water. 

There  was  a  struggle  not  of  long  duration,  but  it  was 
terrible  while  it  lasted.  The  buck  pranced,  and  plunged 


THE    KAVENODS    REPTILE.  25S 

»no  spread  liis  legs,  and  endeavored  to  shake  off  lia 
reptile  assailant.  Several  times  he  was  brought  to  hia 
knees  ;  but  being  a  powerful  animal  he  recovered  his 
legs  again,  and  once  nearly  succeeded  in  drawing  the 
crocodile  out  upon  the  bank.  All  the  while,  too,  he  kept 
striking  forward  with  his  sharp  tore-hoofs  ;  but  desperate 
as  were  the  hits  he  made,  they  produced  no  impressicn 
upon  the  hars-h  scaly  coat  of  his  amphibious  antagonist. 
Had  the  latter  held  him  by  any  other  part,  he  might 
have  had  some  chance  of  escape ;  but  seized  as  he  had 
been  by  the  very  tip  of  his  snout,  his  head  was  all  the 
time  kept  close  down  to  the  water,  and  the  awkward 
position  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  make  use  of 
his  horns — his  principal  weapons  of  defence. 

The  crocodile  was  by  no  means  one  of  the  largest  of 
nis  kind — else  the  struggle  would  have  ended  sooner. 
A  very  large  one — that  is,  one  of  sixteen  to  twenty  feet 
in  length — can  drag  a  buffalo  bull  under  water,  and  a 
buffalo  bull  possesses  four  times  the  strength  of  a  water- 
buck.  The  one  now  seen  was  not  over  ten  feet  long; 
and  the  strong  waterbuck  might  have  been  a  full  match 
for  it,  had  it  not  been  for  the  unfair  hold  which  it  had 
taken.  In  that,  however,  lay  the  advantage  of  the  rep- 
tile, and  it  seemed  to  be  aware  of  it,  for  from  the  first 
moment  it  never  relaxed  the  "  clutch  "  it  had  taken,  but 
held  on  with  its  terrible  teeth  and  strong  jaws,  closed 
like  a  ^,iamp  on  the  snout  of  its  victim  ! 

Now  the  crocodile  was  raised  some  feet  out  of  the 
rivrr,  and  the  boys  could  see  its  ugly  breast,  and  spread 
hand-like  claws ;  now  using  its  powerful  tnil  as  a  ful- 
crum it  would  strike  against  the  water,  and  then  the 
head  of  the  buck  would  be  plunged  below  t\\c  surface. 


2M  THK    RAVENOUS   REPTILE. 

and  held  down  for  minutes  at  a  time.     Of  course  d  * 
ing  all  this  while  the  water  was  kept  in  commotion  ;  and, 
what  with  the  struggles  of  the  quadruped  and  the  lash- 
tig  of  the  reptile's  tail,  a  constant  spray  of  froth  and 
bubbles  marked  the  scene  of  the  strife. 

The  conflict  at  length  came  to  an  end.  The  water* 
tyrant  triumphed.  The  buck  was  dragged  into  the 
river  beyond  his  depth ;  and  although  few  quadrupeds 
could  swim  as  well  as  he,  once  off  his  legs  he  was  no 
longer  a  match  for  the  amphibious  saurian.  His  head 
and  horns  both  disappeared  beneath  the  surface — now 
and  then  the  tail  of  the  crocodile  flapped  upward,  as  it 
exerted  itself  to  keep  its  victim  under — and  then  both 
reptile  and  quadruped  sank  to  the  bottom  of  the  river, 
and  were  seen  no  more  ! 

For  some  time  the  hunters  remained  watching  the 
surface  of  the  water.  They  saw  the  frothy  bubbles 
floating  over  the  spot — some  of  them  reddish  with  the 
blood  of  the  waterbuck — but  the  current  soon  carried 
them  away,  and  the  river  glided  past  smooth  and  silent 
as  if  no  such  commotion  had  occurred  in  its  waters. 

The  hunters  all  returned  to  the  wagons,  and  a  con- 
versation now  occurred  about  crocodiles,  in  which  Congo 
took  part. 

The  Kaffir  had  hunted  upon  the  great  river  Limpopo, 
which  lay  to  the  northeast  of  their  present  camp.  He 
alleged  that  there  crocodiles  were  very  numerous,  and 
some  were  seen  of  enormous  dimensions,  attaining  to 
thirty  feet  in  length,  witli  bodies  as  thick  as  a  rhinoceros  ; 
that  such  .-ernes,  as  that  they  had  just  witnessed,  were 
of  no  uncommon  occurrence  there.  He  said  that  the 
larger  crocodiles  frequently  attacked  buffaloes,  precisely 


THE    RAVENOUS    REPTILE.  255 

as  this  one  had  done  the  waterbuck^that  they  lie  in 
wait  by  the  watering-places  of  these  animals,  and  seiz- 
ing them  by  the  muzzle  when  they  are  drinking,  drag 
them  under  water,  and  thus  suffocate  them. 

But  Congo  related  a  still  more  curious  habit  of  th« 
crocodiles.  He  asserted  that  they  never  devour  their 
prey  until  it  becomes  quite  decomposed — that  is,  until 
it  attains  the  condition  of  carrion.  He  stated  that  when 
a  crocodile  has  killed  a  buffalo  or  any  large  animal,  it 
always  drags  the  carcass  back  to  the  shore,  and,  leaving 
it  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  sun's  rays,  watches  near 
it  until  the  flesh  has  become  tainted  to  its  taste!  The 
young  yagers  had  heard  of  this  before ;  but  were  not 
inclined  to  believe  it,  though  Congo  now  assured  them 
of  its  truth — alleging  that  this  habit  of  the  crocodile 
was  well  known  among  the  native  hunters  of  the 
Limpopo. 

Notwithstanding  the  sneers  of  many  naturalists,  the 
simple  savage  was  right,  as  the  young  yagers  themselves 
were  soon  enabled  to  prove. 

I  have  said  that  when  the  crocodile  and  his  victim 
disappeared  below  the  surface,  they  were  seen  no  more. 
That,  however,  was  not  strictly  true.  Both  of  them 
were  seen  again,  and  in  a  very  short  while  after — more 
than  seen,  indeed ;  for  the  crocodile  was  killed  by  a 
bullet  from  Groot  Willem's  roer ;  and  upon  venison 
steaks  cut  from  the  buttocks  of  the  waterbuck,  both 
Congo  and  Swartboy — as  well  as  the  buck-dogs — made 
them  a  hearty  supper. 

It  was  thus  the  thing  came  about.  Hans  had  entered 
into  a  dissertation  about  crocodiles  in  general.  He  was 
informing  his  companions  of  the  number  of  new  spe- 


256  THE    RA.VENOUS    REPTILE. 

cies  of  these  creatures  that  had  been  lately  discovered 
and  pointing  out  the  great  progress  of  natural  science 
during  the  present  half  century ;  how  the  crocodiles 
were  divided  by  modern  naturalists  into  many  genera, 
and  that,  including  the  caimans  and  alligators  of  America, 
and  the  gavials  of  Asia,  the  whole  crocodile  family 
could  not  number  less  than  two  dozen  living  species, 
although  but  a  few  years  ago  it  was  supposed  there  were 
but  three  kinds  in  existence  ;  how  America  possessed 
true  crocodiles  as  well  as  alligators  ;  how  the  number  of 
species  in  America  was  greater  than  that  of  Africa  and 
Asia  taken  together ;  how  there  were  none  of  these 
great  reptiles  found  either  in  Europe  or  Australasia ; 
and,  among  other  things,  Hans  was  pointing  out  the  dif- 
ficulty which  existed  in  determining  both  the  genera  and 
species  of  all  the  Crocodilidce. 

While  the  yagers  were  listening  to  these  details,  the 
Kailir.  who  had  been  squatted  with  his  eyes  bent  upon 
the  river,  suddenly  started  from  his  crouching  attitude, 
and  pointed  down  to  the  bank,  toward  a  small  brake  of 
reeds  that  grew  out  of  the  water. 

All  eyes  were  turned  in  that  direction,  and  it  was 
perceived  that  some  of  the  reeds  were  shaking  about,  as 
if  a  large  creature  was  moving  among  them.  The  reeds 
were  nodding  about  and  bending  downward  in  bunches, 
and  breaking  as  if  under  some  heavy  pressure,  and 
crackling  as  they  broke.  What  could  be  causing  such 
a  commotion  amongst  them  ?  It  did  not  appear  like 
the  natural  motion  of  any  wild  animal,  for  these  glide 
about,  even  in  their  undisturbed  haunts,  in  a  stealthy 
and  easy  manner.  There  was  something  unusual  going 
on  among  the  reed.\.  What  could  it  be? 


THE    RAVENOUS    REPTILK.  -•;/ 

The  young  yjigers  were  determined  (o  find  out  ;  an-1 
for  this  purpose  they  drew  near  the  margin  of  the  reed-. 
They  did  not  approach  them  openly,  but  crawled  for- 
ward under  cover  of  the  grass  and  bushes,  observing 
perfect  silence,  so  as  not  to  fright  away  whatever 
creature  was  causing  the  movement. 

Fortunately  the  reed-culms  did  not  grow  so  thickly 
•s  to  ooscure  the  view ;  and  when  near,  it  was  possible 
tc  see  a  large  object  moving  in  their  midst.  And  a 
large  object  was  seen — a  large  dark  creature  which  waa 
at  once  recognized  as  a  crocodile. 

It  might  have  been  another  crocodile,  and  not  that 
which  had  just  drowned  the  waterbuck  ;  but  the  hunters 
were  not  left  to  conjecture  on  this  point,  for,  while 
watching  its  movements,  they  now  perceived  the  car- 
cass of  the  watei'buck  itself,  which  the  huge  reptile  waa 
dragging  up  among  the  reeds,  evidently  with  tne  inre^- 
tion  of  raising  it  out  of  the  water !  For  this  purpose  \( 
was  using  its  powerful  jaws,  as  well  as  its  snout,  and 
strong  forearms — now  pulling  the  body  along  a  bit,  then 
pushing  and  rolling  it  over  towards  the  bank. 

The  boy>  watched  these  strange  manoeuvres  for  sonn? 
moments  in  silence  ;  but  Groot  Willem  had  brought  hi/ 
gun  with  him,  and  choosing  a  moment  when  the  huge 
saurian  was  resting  a  little,  he  aimed  for  the  socket  of 
•ts  eye-ball,  and  sent  the  big  bullet  of  his  roer  crashing 
through  its  skull. 

The  reptile  plunged  back  into  the  river,  and  went  (o 
the  bottom  leaving  the  wave  tinged  with  blood.  Pres* 
ently  it  rose  to  the  surface,  struggling  violently,  and 
evidently  in  great  agony.  Now  it  raised  the  fore-part 
of  iU;  hideous  body  quite  out  of  the  wat-r;  then  its 


258  THE    RAVENS  US    REPTILK. 

head  went  under,  and  its  long  tail  was  flouted  into  the 
air;  then  up  came  its  head  again,  and  so  on,  till  at 
length  its  struggles  ceased,  and  it  sank  to  the  bottom 
like  a  stone.  No  doubt  it  sank  to  rise  no  more. 

Congo  and  Swartboy  rushed  in  among  the  reeds,  and 
drawing  out  the  waterbuck — somewhat  lacerated  by  the 
teeth  of  its  destroyer— dragged  it  in  triumph  to  thi 
damp. 


THK    GUINEA-HENS. 


CHAPTER  XU. 

THE    GCINEA-HENS. 

ALTHOUGH  Swartboy  and  Congo  supped  upon  the 
flesh  of  the  waterbuck — which  is  far  from  being  a  deli- 
cate venison — the  boys  had  something  better  for  supper. 
That  was  roast  fowl,  and  a  very  dainty  kind  of  it,  quite 
equal  to  grouse  or  partridge.  They  all  supped  upon 
"guinea-hen." 

The  guinea-fowl  (Numida  meleagris)  is  a  bird  that 
has  been  long  known,  and  is  often  mentioned  in  the 
works  of  ancient  writers  under  the  names  Meleagris  and 
Gallina  Numidica.  It  is  unnecessary  to  give  a  descrip- 
tion of  its  appearance,  as  every  one  is  acquainted  with 
the  beautiful  pearly  plumage  of  the  bird,  from  which  it 
has  obtained  the  name  of  pearl-hen — among  the  Ger- 
mans Perl-Huhn,  and  among  the  Spaniards  "  Pintado," 
or  spotted  hen.  The  English  name  "  Guinea-hen  "  is 
in  allusion  to  the  country  from  which  it  has  been  chiefly 
obtained  in  modern  times.  The  guinea-fowl  is  truly  ft 
native  of  Africa — though  it  is  now  domesticated  in  al- 
most every  country  in  the  world,  and  has  become  a  coin- 
inon  inhabitant  of  the  farm-yard.  In  the  United  States 
of  America,  particularly  in  the  Southern  States,  where 
the  climate  exactly  suits  it,  the  guinea-hen,  or  "  guine* 


26*'  THE    OUINEA-HEN9. 

chickrn,"  as  the  bird  is  there  called,  is  a  great  favorite^ 
both  as  a  bird  for  the  table  and  a  layer  of  eggs  ;  and 
certainly  the  flesh  of  the  young  pullet  is  much  nure 
delLate  and  savory  than  that  of  the  common  fowl. 

In  many  of  the  West  India  islands,  the  guinea-hen, 
although  introduced  from  Africa,  has  become  wild,  and 
in  the  forests  of  Jamaica  it  is  hunted  and  shot  like  other 
game.  In  these  islands  the  species  propagates  very 
rapidly;  and  where  the  birds  become  numerous  they  do 
great  mischief  to  the  crops  of  the  planters.  On  this  ac- 
count they  are  often  hunted,  not  to  be  served  up  at  the 
table,  but  for  the  purpose  of  exterminating  them  a.« 
troublesome  pests. 

Throughout  all  Africa,  its  native  country,  the  guinea- 
fowl  exists ;  but  it  is  to  be  remarked  that  there  is  morfc 
than  one  species.  The  common  guinea-fowl  (Numida 
melengris)  is  the  best  known,  and  in  its  wild  state  differs 
very  little  from  the  domesticated  variety.  The  latter, 
however,  frequently  varies  in  color,  and  some  are  seen 
with  very  little  of  the  blue  tint  upon  their  feathers  and 
almost  without  spots.  This,  however,  is  the  usual  law 
of  wild  birds  when  produced  under  domestication,  as 
ducks,  turkeys,  geese,  and  all  the  other  pets  of  the  farm, 
fully  demonstrate.  Even  when  left  to  herself,  nature 
often  "  sports  "  in  this  way,  and  we  know  of  no  bird  or 
animal  of  which  "  albinos  "  may  not  be  at  some  time 
observed. 

In  addition  to  the  common  guinea-fowl,  a  second 
species  is  well  known  to  exist  in  the  Southern  parts  of 
the  African  continent.  This  is  the  ''  crested  guinea- 
fowl,"  (Numidd  cristata.)  It  is  not  quite  so  large  as 
the  common  kind,  and  has  other  differences.  It  is  of  » 


THE    GUINEA-HENS.  261 

darker  blue  color,  but  spotted  like  its  congener,  each 
feather  having  from  four  to  six  spots  upon  it.  The 
quills  are  yellowish  brown,  but  the  edges  of  the  secon 
Jaries  are  of  a  pure  white,  which  contrasts  prettily  with 
the  dark  coloring  of  the  general  plumage. 

But  the  most  conspicuous  difference  between  the  two 
*pecies  is  in  the  formation  of  the  crown  and  cheeks.  As 
is  well  known,  over  the  bill  of  the  common  guinea-fowl 
rises  a  singular  warty  membrane  like  a  casque,  while 
two  carunculated  wattles  hang  from  the  lower  mandible. 
Both  these  appendages  are  wanting  in  the  Numida 
rristata  ;  but  in  place  of  the  hard  casque,  the  head  of 
this  species  is  ornamented  with  a  crest  of  loose  hair-like 
feathers  of  a  bluish  black,  which  adds  very  much  to  the 
elegant  appearance  of  the  bird. 

The  guinea-hens  are  gregarious  and  sometimes  im- 
mense flocks  of  them  are  seen  together.  They  spend 
most  of  their  time  upon  the  ground,  but  they  also  take 
to  trees  when  startled,  and  roost  upon  the  branches. 
Their  food  consists  of  seeds,  berries,  and  soft  slugs. 

While  the  boys  were  discussing  what  they  should 
have  for  supper,  a  flock  of  these  beautiful  crested  crea« 
tures  came  chattering  across  the  open  meadow  in  which 
was  the  camp.  Of  course  the  shot-guns  were  immedi« 
Htely  put  in  requisition,  and  several  of  the  party  got 
ready  to  go  after  them. 

Now  it  is  not  so  very  easy  to  get  a  shot  at  the  wild 
guinea-her.s.  They  are  no  great  flyers,  and  do  not  take 
to  the  wing  when  pursued,  unless  w'aen  close  pressed  by 
a  dog  or  some  other  swift  animal.  But  a  man  on  foot 
is  no  match  for  them,  as  they  run  very  swiftly  where  thfl 
ground  is  even  They  are  shy,  moreover ;  and  it  is  not 


262  TIIK    GUINEA-HKNS. 

withoMt  difficulty  that  a  :'hot  can  be  had.  There  is  on« 
way,  however,  of  approaching  them  successfully.  A 
dog  should  be  set  after  them,  precisely  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  though  they  were  rabbits,  hares,  or  any  othei 
small  quadrupeds.  The  dog  of  course  being  swift 
enough  to  overtake  them,  soon  comes  up,  and  the 
guinea- fowls  are  then  forced  to  take  wing.  But,  as 
they  are  greatly  disinclined  to  a  long  flight,  they  soon 
settle  down  again,  or,  what  is  more  likely,  perch  upon 
the  branches  of  the  nearest  tree.  The  dog  then  run& 
up  to  the  tree ;  and,  if  well  trained,  will  commence 
barking,  and  continue  so  till  the  sportsman  approaches 
within  shot.  The  birds  upon  the  tree  have  no  fear  of 
the  dog  below — knowing  very  well  that  he  cannot  climb 
up  to  them — but,  while  their  attention  is  occupied  with 
him,  they  pay  no  heed  to  their  more  dangerous  enemy 
the  gunner,  who  can  then  easily  approach  within  range, 
and  take  aim  at  his  leisure. 

Now  this  mode  of  hunting  the  guinea-fowl  was  well 
known -to  the  young  yagers  :  and  as  one  of  their  dogs 
had  been  trained  to  it,  they  took  him  along,  and  com- 
menced the  pursuit  with  every  confidence  that  they 
would  eat  roast  fowl  for  supper. 

They  were  not  disappointed.  The  birds  were  soon 
after  sprung,  and  then  treed  ;  and  the  barking  of  the 
dog  conducted  the  gunners  to  the  spot  where  the  game 
had  taken  roost,  among  the  branches  of  some  "  cameel- 
doo/  n "  trees  near  the  bank  of  the  river.  Several 
shots  were  obtained  ;  and  three  brace  and  a  half  were 
brought  into  camp — enough  to  serve  not  only  for  sup- 
pe:  but  also  for  breakfast  on  the  following  morning. 

It   seemed  to  be  quite  a  place  for  birds ;  for  wbil< 


THE    GUINEA-HENS.  263 

thtre,  ma:.y  other  species  were  observed  by  tht  young 
hunteis.  A  great  many  curious  plants  grew  in  the 
neighborhood,  the  seeds  of  which  served  many  kinds 
lor  food  ;  besides,  from  the  proximity  of  the  river  many 
llius  and  other  insects  were  produced,  the  prey  of 
numerous  shrikes  and  other  birds  of  the  family  jf 
Muscicapidce. 

Hans  pointed  out  a  very  singular  bird  that  was  flying 
about  the  meadow,  and  was  every  now  and  then  utter- 
ing a  note  that  sounded  like  the  word  "  edolio."  From 
this  note  the  bird  derives  its  name,  just  as  in  England 
the  "cuckoo"  is  nain-d  from  its  peculiar  call,  and  in 
France  "  coucou." 

Now  the  edolio  of  South  Africa  is  also  a  cuckoo ; 
and  although  differing  from  our  cuckoo  in  some  re- 
spect*, it  has  a  great  resemblance  to  it  in  others.  It 
has  the  same  parasite  peculiarity  of  depositing  ite  eggs 
in  the  nests  of  other  birds,  and  leaving  them  to  be 
hatched  there  ;  and  its  other  habits  are  very  similar  to 
those  of  the  common  cuckoo. 

But  there  are  some  very  curious  points  in  the  history 
of  the  "  edolio,"  which  it  does  not  share  with  its  Euro- 
pean congener.  Among  the  boors  of  South  Africa  it 
is  known  as  the  "  New  year's  day  bird,"  (Niuwe  jaai  a 
vogel,)  and  these  simple  people  ascribe  to  it  some  won- 
derful characteristics.  They  say  that  it  appears  only 
at  the  begmniug  of  the  year — whence  the  name  "  new- 
year's  day  bird  " — and  that  whenever  it  is  hungry  h 
commences  to  cry  out,  and  then  all  the  little  birds  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood  fly  towards  it,  carrying 
food,  which  they  give  it  to  eat  ! 

Now  all  the   young   yagers,  as  well  as  Congo  the 


264  THK    GUINEA-HENS. 

Kaffir  and  Swartboy  the  Bushman,  were  well  acquaint 
ed  with  this  story  ;  and  all,  with  the  exception  of  Hans, 
believed  it  to  be  true.  Hans,  however,  knew  the  ex 
planation  of  the  marvellous  matter,  and  proceeded  to 
give  it  to  his  companions. 

He  stated  that  the  bird  known  among  the  farmers  aa 
the  Niuwe  jaars  vogel,  was  no  other  than  the  young  of 
the  "edolio"  (Cuculus  serratus) — though  the  farmers 
would  not  believe  this,  because,  although  full  fledged,  il 
differs  a  good  deal  from  the  parent  birds  both  in  size 
and  color,  and  is  therefore  taken  for  a  distinct  kind. 
That  the  mystery  of  its  appearing  always  on  the  first 
day  of  the  year,  was  scarce  a  fable  after  all,  as  it  was 
about  that  time  that  young  edolios  obtained  their  full 
feathers,  and  commenced  flying  about.  That  the  fur- 
ther statement,  of  its  crying  out  when  hungry,  was 
perfectly  true ;  but  that  all  the  small  birds  in  the 
neighborhood  were  summoned  by  its  cry,  was  not 
correct,  although  some  would  be,  viz  :  the  step-mother 
and  father  that  had  brought  it  into  life  ;  and  that  these 
having  been  often  seen  in  the  act  of  feeding  the  young 
edolio  had  given  origin  to  the  fable.  This  was  cer- 
tainly a  very  good  explanation. 

Hans  further  stated  that  a  similar  belief  existed 
among  the  natives  of  India,  in  relation  to  the  large- 
billed  cuckoo,  (Eudynamis  orientalis,)  and  that  the 
belief  had  a  similar  origin. 

"  The  edolio,"  continued  Hans,  "  like  the  cuckoo, 
deposits  its  eggs  in  the  nest  of  many  species  of  small 
birds  ;  and  that  it  places  them  there  with  its  beak,  and 
not  in  the  ordinary  way,  has  been  satisfactorily  deter- 
mined by  naturalists." 


ROGILBOK.. 


CHAPTER  XLIL 

ROOYEBOK. 

As  our  travellers  advanced  up-streara,  the  wide  level 
plains  became  narrowed  into  mere  stripes  of  meadow 
that  lay  along  both  sides  of  the  river.  On  both  sides, 
and  not  a  great  distance  off,  wood-covered  mountain? 
trended  parallel  to  the  course  of  the  stream.  Some- 
times their  spurs  approached  very  near  to  the  banks — 
so  as  to  divide  the  bottom  land  into  a  series  of  valleys, 
that  rose  like  terraces  one  above  the  other.  Each  of 
these  was  a  separate  plain,  stretcliing  from  the  river's 
bank  to  the  rocky  foot  of  the  mountain. 

Nearly  every  one  of  them  was  tenanted  with  game 
of  one  sort  or  another — such  as  had  already  been  met 
with  on  the  route — but  beyond  killing  enough  to  keep 
their  larder  supplied  with  fresh  meat,  our  party  did  not 
make  any  stay  to  hunt  here.  The  guide  had  informed 
Vhem,  that  beyond  the  mountain  where  the  river  took 
its  rise  lay  the  country  of  the  elephant,  the  buffalo,  and 
the  giraffe ;  and  in  hopes  of  reaching  this  long-expected 
land,  the  sight  of  a  herd  of  springboks,  or  gnoos,  or 
blauwboks,  or  even  elands,  had  little  more  interest  foi 
the  young  yagers  than  if  it  had  been  a  drove  of  tame 
oxen. 

12 


Z6t>  ROOTEBOK. 

Ascending  into  one  of  the  upper  valleys,  howevei 
they  came  suddenly  in  view  of  a  herd  of  antelope* 
whose  forms  and  colors  distinguished  them  from  any 
our  hunters  had  yet  met  with.  This  at  once  decided 
them  to  halt  the  wagons,  and  prepare  for  a  chase. 

That  the  animals  seen  were  antelopes,  there  could  be 
no  mistake.  They  had  all  the  grace  and  lightness  of 
form  peculiar  to  these  creatures ;  beside?,  their  horns 
were  conspicuously  characteristic.  Their  appearance 
b<  spoke  them  to  be  true  antelopes. 

They  were  large  ones  too — that  is,  of  medium  size- 
about  as  large  as  red  deer ;  but  of  course  small  when 
compared  with  such  species  as  the  blauwbok  or  tha 
huge  eland.  Each  would  have  measured  nearly  three 
feet  and  a  half  in  height — and  even  a  little  more,  over 
the  croup — for  although  there  are  some  antelopes,  such 
as  those  of  the  acronotine  group — the  "  hartebeest," 
"  sassabye,"  and  "  bekr-el-wash  " — that  stand  lower  at 
the  croup  than  the  shoulders,  the  reverse  is  the  case 
with  other  species ;  and  those  now  before  the  eyes  of 
our  hunters  possessed  the  latter  characteristic.  They 
stood  high  at  the  croup. 

None  of  the  yagers  had  ever  seen  one  of  the  kind 
before ;  arid  yet,  the  moment  they  came  under  view 
both  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  cried  out, — 

"  Rooyebok  ! " 

M  How  know  you  that  they  are  rooyebok ': "  de- 
manded Hans. 

"  From   their  color,  of  course,"  replied  the  others. 

The  color  of  these  atrtel  Dpes  was  a  deep  fulvous  red 
orer    the  head,   neck,  and   upper  parts  of  the  body 
paler  along  the  sides  :  and  under  the  belly  pure  white 


ROOYEBOK.  267 

Tl.tre  were  ^ome  black  marks — such  as  a  stripe  of 
black  down  e»?h  buttock,  and  also  along  the  upper  part 
rf  the  tail — but  the  general  color  of  the  animals  was 
bright  red  ;  hence  their  being  taken  for  "  rooyebok,"  r r 
"  red-bucks,"  by  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem. 

"The  color  is  not  a  good  criterion,"  remark  sd 
Hans.  "  They  might  as  well  have  been  '  grysbok,'  ar 
'  eteinbok,'  or  '  rooye  rheebok,'  for  the  matter  of  color. 
t  judge  by  the  horns,  however,  that  you  are  right  in 
your  guess.  They  are  rooyebok,  or,  as  the  Bechuanas 
call  them,  'pallah,'  and,  as  naturalists  style  them, 
Antilope  melampm." 

All  looked  at  the  horns  as  Hans  spoke,  and  saw  that 
these  were  full  twenty  inches  in  length,  and  somewhat 
like  those  of  the  springbok,  but  more  irregularly  lyrate. 
The  two  nearly  met  at  their  tips,  whereas  at  their 
middle  they  were  full  twelve  inches  apart.  This  was  a 
characteristic  by  which  they  could  easily  be  remem- 
bered, and  it  had  enabled  Hans  at  once  to  pronounce 
apon  the  species. 

Strange  to  say,  there  was  but  one  pair  of  full-grown 
horns  in  the  whole  herd,  for  there  was  but  one  old  buck, 
and  the  does  of  the  pallah  are  hornless.  A  "  herd  "  is 
hardly  a  proper  term ;  for  this  species  of  antelope  can- 
not be  called  gregarious.  What  our  hunters  saw  before 
them  was  a  family  of  rooyeboks,  consisting  of  the  oM 
male,  his  wives,  and  several  young  bucks  and  does — in 
all,  only  eleven  in  number. 

Our  hunters  knew,  from  what  they  had  heard,  that 
the  rooyebok  is  both  a  shy  and  swift  antelope- 
difficult  either  to  be  approached  or  run  down,  It  would 
be  necessary,  therefore,  to  adc  pt  some  plan  of  proceed 


268  ROOTEBOK. 

• 

ing,  else  they  would  not  succeed  in  getting  one  of  them 
and  they  had  fixed  their  minds  most  covetously  on  the 
large  knotted  horns  of  the  buck.  They  halted  the 
wagons  to  await  the  result  of  the  chase ;  though  the 
oxen  were  not  to  be  oufcspanned,  unless  it  should  prove 
successful.  If  so.  they  would  camp  upon  the  ground 
for  the  night — so  as  to  enable  them  to  dress  the  meat, 
and  preserve  the  "  trophies."  With  such  resolves,  they 
made  ready  to  hunt  the  pallah. 

Upon  first  coming  in  sight  of  the  rooyebok,  the  hun- 
ters were  upon  the  crest  of  a  high  ridge — one  of  the 
mountain  spurs,  that  divided  the  valley  they  had  just 
traversed  from  that  in  which  the  red  antelopes  were 
feeding.  From  the  eminence  they  occupied,  they  com- 
manded a  view  of  this  valley  to  its  farthest  border,  and 
could  see  its  whole  surface,  except  a  small  strip  on  the 
nearer  side,  which  was  hidden  from  them  by  the  brow 
of  the  ridge  on  which  they  stood. 

Around  the  sides  of  the  valley  there  were  trees  and 
bushes ;  though  these  did  not  form  a  continued  grove, 
but  only  grew  in  detached  clumps  and  patches.  All  the 
central  ground,  where  the  pallahs  were  feeding,  was  open, 
and  quite  destitute  of  either  bush  or  cover  of  any  kind. 
Between  the  bordering  groves  there  was  long  grass; 
and,  by  the  aid  of  this,  a  skilled  hunter  might  have 
crept  from  one  grove  to  another,  without  attracting  the 
attention  of  the  antelopes. 

It  was  decided,  therefore,  that  Hendrik  and  Groot 
Willem  should  steal  round  to  the  other  end  of  the  val- 
ley, keeping  under  cover  of  the  thickets  and  grass. 
Then  the  pallahs  would  be  between  two  fires,  as  thej 
must  either  go  up  or  down  the  valley  in  trying  to  escape 


KOOTEBOK.  ?6* 

On  the  right  lay  the  steep  mountain;  on  the  left,  the 
deep  rapid  river.  They  would  not  likely  attempt  to 
move  off  on  either  hand.  So  this  design  to  intercept 
them  was  good  enough. 

The  horses  were  now  tied  to  trees  and  left  on  the 
back  of  the  ridge,  while  the  hunters  moved  forward 
upon  the  brow  that  overhung  the  valley. 

They  had  not  advanced  far  before  that  part  of  the 
valley  hitherto  unseen  came  under  their  eyes,  and  there, 
to  their  astonishment,  another  herd  of  animals  appeared ; 
not  of  antelopes — although,  from  their  color,  they  might 
have  been  mistaken  for  such.  No — the  short  round 
heads,  elongated  bodies,  thick  massive  limbs,  and  long 
tufted  tails,  told  at  a  glance,  that  it  was  no  herd  of 
peaceful  ruminants  the  hunters  were  gazing  upon,  but 
an  assemblage  of  dreaded  carnivora — a  troop  of  lions  J 


FfVTR-FOOTED  «IINTEBS. 


CHAPTER  XLTII. 

FOUR-FOOTED    HUNTERS. 

THERE  were  twelve  lions  in  the  troop — old  uiale^ 
females,  and  whelps  of  different  ages  !  A  terrific  spec- 
tacle to  look  upon,  in  any  other  way  than  through  the 
bars  of  a  cage,  or  out  of  a  third  story  window.  Bui 
our  young  yagers  beheld  them  on  an  open  plain,  and  at 
the  dangerous  proximity  of  three  hundred  yards ! 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  a  sudden  stop  was  put  to 
their  advance,  and  that  every  one  of  the  six  was  more 
or  less  alarmed.  Although  they  knew  that,  as  a  general 
rule,  the  lion  will  not  attack  man  without  provocation, 
it  might  be  different  where  such  a  number  were  together. 
Twelve  lions  would  have  made  short  work  of  them,  one 
and  all.  No  wonder  the  young  hunters  trembled  at  sight 
of  such  a  troop,  and  so  near ;  for  the  brow  of  the  ridge, 
running  abruptly  down  to  the  plain,  was  all  that  lay 
between  them  and  the  dreaded  assemblage.  A  few 
bounds  would  have  brought  the  lions  to  the  spot  on 
which  they  stood ! 

After  the  first  moments  of  surprise  and  alarm  had 
passed,  the  yagers  bethought  themselves  how  to  act. 
Of  course,  the  pallahs  were  driven  completely  out  of 
their  mind,  and  all  ideas  of  a  hunt  given  up.  To  have 


FOUR-FOOTED    HUNTERS.  271 

descended  into  that  valley,  would  liave  been  to  have 
encountered  twice  their  own  number  of  lions :  older 
bu nters  than  they  would  have  shied  off  from  such  an 
encounter.  They  did  not  think  for  a  moment  of  going 
farther,  nor,  indeed,  of  any  thing  but  retreating;  and  it 
cannot  be  said  that  they  thought  of  that,  for  it  was  the 
tLstinct  of  the  moment. 

"  Back  to  our  hordes ! "  whispered  they  to  one  another, 
the  moment  they  set  their  eyes  on  the  lions  ;  and,  with- 
out staying  to  contemplate  the  fearful  group,  all  six  stole 
back ;  and,  in  less  than  two  minutes'  time,  were  seated 
in  their  saddles. 

Their  presence  had  not  been  discovered  by  the  lions. 
Two  circumstances  had  favored  the  boys,  and  prevented 
this.  The  ridge  over  which  they  were  passing  was 
covered  with  underwood,  and  the  "  bosch,"  reaching  as 
high  as  their  heads,  had  sheltered  them  from  view.  The 
other  circumstance  in  their  favor  was  that  the  wind  was 
blowing  down  the  valley,  and  tfierefore,  from  the  lions 
and  towards  themselves.  Had  it  been  otherwise,  they 
would  have  been  scented,  and  of  course,  discovered. 
Still  another  circumstance — the  hunters  had  been 
advancing  in  silence,  on  account  of  the  design  they  had 
formed  of  stalking  the  pallahs.  The  lions,  therefore, 
«till  remained  ignorant  of  their  proximity.  Onca  on 
horseback  our  party  felt  secure,  and  soon  got  over  their 
tittle  "flurry.''  Each  knew  that  the  noble  creature  that 
carried  him,  could  give  any  lion  the  heels.  Even  the 
ponies  of  Klaas  and  Jan  could  run  away  from  the  fastest 
lion  in  Africa.  Once  mounted,  all  felt  that  the  danger 
was  over. 

The  hunters,  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willetn,  were  nol 


272  FOUR-FOOTED  HUNTERS. 

satisfied  to  retreat  in  this  way.  They  were  resolved  OK 
at  least,  having  another  "peep"  at  the  dangerous  game  5 
and,  therefore,  prepared  to  return  to  their  former  point 
of  observation,  of  course  this  time  on  horseback.  Hang 
also  felt  a  similar  inclination — from  the  desire  to  studj 
a  chapter  of  natural  history — and  Arend  would  go  out 
of  curiosity.  It  was  not  deemed  safe  to  take  Klans  01 
Jan  along;  so  these  two  youngsters  were  ur cere- 
moniously sent  back  to  the  wagons,  that  had  been  halted 
in  the  lower  valley  near  the  bottom  of  the  hill. 

The  other  four  rode  slowly  and  silently  forward,  until 
they  came  once  more  in  view  of  the  valley,  the  herd  of 
pallahs,  and  the  troop  of  lions. 

The  antelopes  were  still  feeding  quietly  near  the  cen- 
tre of  the  open  ground.  The  lions  were  as  yet  on  the 
ground,  where  they  had  been  first  observed.  That  the 
pallahs  knew  nothing  of  the  proximity  of  their  danger- 
ous neighbors  was  very  evident,  else  they  would  not 
have  been  moving  so  sedately  along  the  sward.  They 
had  no  suspicion  that  an  enemy  was  near.  The  liona 
were  in  the  lower  end  of  the  valley,  and  therefore  to 
leeward  of  them — for  the  wind  was  blowing  fair  down- 
stream, and  came  right  in  the  faces  of  the  hunters.  A 
thicket,  moreover,  screened  the  lions  from  the  eyes  of 
the  herd. 

It  was  equally  evident  that  the  beasts  of  prey  were 
well  aware  of  the  presence  of  the  rooyeboks.  Their 
actions  proved  this.  At  short  intervals  one  trotted  to 
ihe  edge  of  the  *'  bosch,"  in  crouching  attitude,  looked 
out  to  the  open  plain,  and  after  a  moment  or  two  re- 
turned to  his  companions,  just  as  if  he  ha!  been  sent  to 
•*  report."  The  old  males  and  the  Monesses  stood  in  a 


FOUK-FOOTED  HUNTERS.  273 

thick  clump,  and  seemed  to  be  holding  a  consultation! 
The  hoys  had  not  a  douht  but  that  they  were  doing  this 
very  tiling,  and  that  the  subject  of  their  deliberation 
was  the  rooyebok  herd. 

At  length  the  "council"  appeared  to  break  up.  The 
troop  separated,  each  taking  a  different  direction.  Some 
went  along  the  bottom  of  the  valley,  while  several  were 
Been  to  proceed  towards  the  mountain  foot. 

When  these  last  had  reached  the  groves  before  men- 
tioned, they  turned  upwards  ;  and  one  after  another 
were  seen  crouching  from  clump  to  clump,  crawling 
along  upon  their  bellies,  as  they  passed  through  the  long 
grass,  and  evidently  trying  to  shelter  themselves  from 
the  view  of  the  pallahs. 

Their  object  now  became  clear.  They  were  proceed- 
ing to  the  upper  end  of  the  valley,  with  the  design  of 
driving  the  game  upon  those  that  had  remained  below 
— in  fact,  carrying  out  the  identical  plan  which  the  hun- 
ters themselves  had  projected  but  the  moment  before ! 
The  boys  marvelled  at  this  singular  coincidence ;  and 
as  they  sat  in  their  saddles  they  could  not  help  admiring 
the  skill  with  which  their  rivals  were  carrying  out  their 
own  plan. 

Those — three  there  were — that  had  gone  skulking  up 
the  edge  of  the  valley,  were  soon  out  of  sight — hidden 
under  the  "  bosch  "  that  grew  at  the  opposite  end,  and 
trhich  they  had  been  seen  to  enter.  Meanwhile,  the 
other  nine  had  spread  themselves  along  the  bottom  of 
the  valley,  each  taking  station  under  cover  of  the 
b  ishes  and  long  grass.  The  trap  was  now  fairly  set. 

For  a  few  minutes  no  movement  was  observed  on 
Ihe  part  either  of  lions  or  pallahs.  The  former  lay 
12* 


274  FOTJR-FOOTKD    HUNTERS. 

crouched  and  stealthily  watching  the  herd — the  latte? 
browsed  peacefully  along  the  sward,  perfectly  uncon- 
scious of  the  plot  that  was  "thickening"  around  them. 

Something  at  this  moment  seemed  to  render  them 
suspicious.  They  appeared  to  suspect  that  there  was 
danger  threatening.  The  buck  raised  his  head  ;  looked 
around  him  ;  uttered  a  hiss,  somewhat  like  the  whistling 
of  deer ;  and  struck  the  ground  a  smart  rap  or  twc 
with  his  hoof.  The  others  left  off  browsing,  and  several 
of  them  were  seen  to  bound  up  into  the  air — after  the 
very  singular  manner  of  springboks. 

No  doubt  they  had  scented  the  lions,  now  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  valley — as  the  breeze  from  that 
quarter  blew  diroctly  towards  the  herd. 

It  was  surely  that ;  for  after  repeating  his  signal,  the 
old  buck  himself  sprang  many  feet  into  the  air,  and 
then  stretched  himself  in  full  flight.  The  others  of 
course  followed,  leaping  up  at  intervals  as  they  ran. 

As  the  lions  had  well  calculated,  the  antelopes  carne 
directly  down  the  valley,  breast  forward,  upon  their 
line.  Neither  the  wind  nor  any  thing  warned  them  of 
the  dangerous  ambuscade ;  and  in  a  few  short  moments 
they  were  close  to  the  patches  of  brushwood.  Then 
the  nine  huge  cats  were  seen  to  spring  out  as  if  moved 
by  one  impulse,  and  launch  themselves  into  the  air. 
Each  had  chosen  a  rooyebok,  and  nearly  every  one 
succeeded  in  bringing  his  vic*im  to  the  earth.  A  single 
blow  from  the  paw  of  their  strong  assailants  waa 
enough  to  stretch  the  poor  antelopes  un  the  plain,  and 
put  an  end  at  once  to  their  running  and  their  lives. 
So  sudden  was  the  attack,  and  so  short-lived  the  strug- 
gle, that  in  two  seconds  from  the  time  the  lions  made 


FOUR-FOOTED    HUNTERS.  273 

their  spring,  each  might  be  seen  crouching  over  a  dead 
pallah,  with  his  paws  and  teeth  buried  in  its  flesh  ! 

Three  alone  escaped,  and  ran  back  up  the  valley. 
But  a  new  ambush  awaited  them  there ;  and  as  they 
followed  the  path,  that  led  through  the  thicket  at  the 
upper  end,  each  became  the  prey  of  a  lurking  lion. 

Not  one  of  the  beautiful  antelopes,  that  but  the  nio> 
msnt  before  were  bounding  over  the  plain  in  all  the 
pride  and  confidence  of  their  speed,  was  able  to  break 
through  the  line  of  deadly  enemies  so  cunningly  drawn 
around  them ! 

The  hunters  remained  for  some  minutes  gazing  upon 
the  singular  spectacle.  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem 
would  have  stolen  forward,  and  sent  a  brace  of  bullets 
into  a  brace  of  lions ;  but  Hans  would  not  hear  of 
such  a  thing.  He  alleged  that  there  was  no  time 
when  these  animals  are  more  dangerous  to  attack,  than 
just  after  they  have  killed  their  game  and  are  drink- 
ing its  blood.  At  such  a  moment  they  are  extremely 
ferocious,  and  will  follow  with  implacable  vengeance 
any  one  who  may  disturb  them.  It  would  be  more 
prudent,  therefore,  not  to  provoke  such  a  powerful 
band,  but  to  retire  altogether  from  the  spot 

To  these  counsels  of  Hans — backed  by  Arend — -the 
two  hunters  at  length  reluctantly  yielded;  and  all  four 
rode  back  to  the  wagons. 

Ariiving  there,  a  consulation  was  held  how  they 
were  to  proceed.  It  would  be  a  dangerous  business  to 
trek  up  the  narrow  valley  guarded  by  such  a  troop. 
A  ford  ivas  therefore  sought  for,  and  found  at  some 
iistaaca  below  ;  and,  having  crossed  their  wagons,  th« 


276  FOU3-POOTED    HUNTERS. 

travellers  encamped  on  the  opposite  side — as  it  was  ioi 
late  to  move  farther  that  night. 

They  had  done  well  to  go  across  the  river,  for  during 
the  whole  night  the  fierce  brutes  were  heard  roaring 
terrifically  upon  the  side  where  they  had  been  observed. 
In  fact,  the  place  appeared  to  be  a  regular  den  of 

•  •  » 

KM*. 


WIDOW-BIRDS 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

"  WIDOW-BIRDS." 

TUET  vrere  only  too  glad  to  get  off  out  ol  that 
neighborhood,  and  at  an  early  hour  they  inspanned 
»nd  treked  up  the  banks  of  the  stream. 

Just  as  on  the  other  side,  the  road  led  through  a  suc- 
cession of  valleys,  with  groves  of  trees  scattered  over 
their  surface ;  and  as  they  proceeded,  the  mountain 
spurs  more  frequently  approached  the  banks,  and  at 
one  or  two  places  they  found  great  difficulty  in  getting 
the  wagons  across  the  ridges.  One  of  these  was  so 
Bteep,  that  for  awhile  the  travellers  feared  they  would 
not  be  able  to  follow  the  stream  any  farther.  The 
oxen  refused  to  trek  up  the  declivity,  and  neither  whip 
nor  jambok  would  force  them  forward. 

But  Congo  knew  of  a  plan  by  which  they  were  at 
length  induced  to  proceed  ;  and  both  wagons  arrived  in 
safety  at  the  top  of  the  pass — not,  however,  until  Swart- 
boy  had  clicked  and  shouted,  and  Congo  had  screamed, 
till  their  throats  were  sore,  and  both  had  worn  th«» 
voorslays  of  springbok  skin  from  their  long  whips. 

Congo's  mode  of  making  the  oxen  move  forward  was 
a  very  simple  one ;  and  consisted  in  his  going  ahead  of 
them  and  smearing  the  rocks  along  the  path  with  th» 


278  WIDOW-BIRDS. 

"mest "  of  the  oxen  themselves — thus  leading  the  ani 
mals  to  believe  that  other  oxen  had  gone  before  them 
and  that  therefore  the  passage  must  be  practicable,  since 
some  of  their  own  kind  had  already  made  it!  This 
mode  is  often  adopted  by  the  trek-boors  of  Scutherc 
Africa,  when  they  wish  to  drive  up  very  precipitous 
places,  where  the  oxen  are  afraid  to  go  of  themselves. 

The  valley,  which  was  reached  after  climbing  through 
this  difficult  pass,  was  one  of  very  small  extent — not 
exceeding  a  couple  of  acres ;  and  as  the  river  had  now 
become  diminished  to  a  mountain-stream,  it  was  forda- 
ble  at  any  point  throughout  the  whole  length  of  the 
liltle  meadow  in  which  the  travellers  encamped.  At 
the  head  of  this  valley  a  ridge  trended  across  the 
course  of  the  stream  through  which  the  current  had 
cleft  a  wide  way ;  and  the  only  road  leading  out  above 
was  along  the  channel  of  the  river  itself.  Fortunately, 
this  channel  was  nearly  dry,  else  they  could  have  gone 
no  farther  in  that  direction.  As  it  was,  the  pebbly  bed 
of  the  stream  could  be  traversed  by  wagons,  and  they 
would  easily  get  through  to  wider  plains  that  stretched 
beyond.  They  had  halted  for  the  night  in  this  little 
valley,  because  there  was  excellent  grass  for  their 
cattle  ;  and  as  wood  grew  along  the  sides  of  the  rock) 
hills,  and  clear  cool  water  ran  down  the  stream,  they 
[Assessed  all  the  three  necessary  requisites  for  a  travel- 
ler'6  camp. 

It  was  a  curious  little  place  where  they  had  out- 
fepanned.  As  already  stated,  the  level  ground  was  not 
over  a  couple  of  acres  in  extent,  though  it  was  nearly 
of  circular  form.  Through  the  very  centre  of  it  passed 
Ihe  stream,  its  bed  being  only  a  few  feet  below  tin 


W1I>OW-BIK1>8.  27£ 

general  surface)  and  all  around  were  the  mountains, 
their  precipitous  sides  rising  like  rocky  walls  to  a  height 
of  several  hundred  feet,  and  completely  enclosing  the 
mountain  within  their  embrace. 

There  were  no  trees  upon  the  surface  of  the  meadow 
Itself,  but  against  the  rocks  grew  many  kinds  ;  some  of 
them  hanging  with  their  tops  downward,  and  some 
stretching  horizontally  outwards.  A  few  small  shrubs 
alone,  with  some  reeds,  grew  upon  the  edge  of  the 
stream ;  but  these  were  low,  and  would  not  have  con- 
cealed a  man  standing  erect. 

In  the  centre  of  this  natural  amphitheatre  the  camp 
was  formed — that  is,  the  wagons  were  placed  there.  The 
horses  and  oxen  were  not  fastened  in  any  way,  as  it 
was  supposed  they  would  not  care  to  stray  out  of  the 
valley. 

There  were  three  good  reasons  why  they  should  not 
wander.  First,  because  they  were  wearied  with  a  long 
day's  work,  and  one  that  had  been  particularly  severe. 
Secondly,  the  paths  leading  out  were  difficult  to  find. 
And  thirdly,  because  both  the  grass  and  water  there 
were  of  as  good  a  quality  as  either  horse  or  ox  could 
have  expected  to  meet  with  elsewhere.  There  was  no 
reason,  therefore,  why  any  of  them  should  go  beyond 
the  confines  of  the  valley  where  the  camp  was  situated. 

As  usual,  no  sooner  were  Klaas  and  Jan  fairly  out 
of  their  saddles  than  they  went  bird's-nesting.  Several 
kmds  of  birds  had  been  seen  by  them  as  they  entered 
this  secluded  valley ;  and  it  was  likely  that  some  of 
their  nests  would  be  found  at  no  great  distance  off. 

And  some  were  found.  Upon  the  shrubs  and  reeds 
quite  a  colony  of  birds  had  made  their  habitations 


280  WIDOW-BIRDS. 

They  were  small  sparrow-looking  birds,  la^mg  no*:l»  ol 
A  kidney-shape,  hollow  in  the  inside,  which  was  reached 
by  little  circular  entrances,  something  like  the  nests  of 
the  common  wren.  The  outside  part  was  constructed 
of  grass  ;  while  inside,  the  nests  were  lined  with  a  soft 
substance  resembling  wool.  This  was  the  cottony  dow  n 
obtained  from  some  plant  that,  no  doubt,  grew  in  that 
neighborhood,  but  which  the  boys  could  not  see  any- 
^rhere  around. 

Now  these  little  birds  were  already  well  known  to  the 
young  yagers.  They  had  met  with  them  before ;  and 
all  of  them  knew  they  were  birds  of  the  genus  Ploceinte, 
or  weaver-birds.  They  knew,  moreover,  that  there  are 
not  only  many  species  of  weaver-birds,  but  that  there 
are  also  many  genera,  or  rather  subgenera,  of  them,  dif- 
fering from  each  other  in  size,  color,  and  habits,  but  all 
possessing  the  curious  instinct  of  building  nests  of  n 
very  ingenious  kind — in  other  words  "  weaving"  them; 
from  which  circumstance  they  derive  their  trivial  name. 
The  nests  of  all  the  species  differ  from  each  other. 
Some  are  constructed  of  a  globe-shape ;  others  like 
a  chemist's  retort ;  others  of  kidney-form ;  and  still 
another  kind  of  nest  is  that  of  the  "  social  weaver-birds." 
These  last  unite  in  large  numbers,  and  fill  one  great 
nest,  or  "  hive,"  which  often  fills  the  whole  top  of  a  great 
acacia,  looking  like  a  haystack  bull*  among  the  branched 
of  the  tree. 

The  little  weavers  observed  by  Klaas  and  Jan  were 
of  the  genus  Amadina — the  Amadina  squamifrons ; 
and  both  the  boys  were  glad  at  encountering  some  of 
their  nests  at  that  moment.  Not  that  they  were  at  all 
curious  to  see  the  eggs,  for  they  had  examined  them 


WIDOW-BIRDS.  28  i 

often  before.  No :  that  was  not  the  reason.  There  was 
another  and  a  different  one.  It  was  this:  the  inside 
lining  of  the  nest  of  the  anmdina  makes  excellent  wad- 
ding for  shot-guns — quite  equal  to  tow,  and  even  better 
than  the  softest  paper ;  and  as  both  Klaas  and  Jan  were 
O'Jt  ~f  wadding,  they  expected  to  replenish  their  stock 
by  robbing  the  poor  amadinas  of  their  pretty  nests. 

They  would  not  have  done  so  wantonly,  fcr  Hans 
would  not  have  permitted  them ;  but,  as  hunters,  they 
etood  in  real  need  of  the  article,  and  therefore  they  took 
it  without  remorse. 

Simple  as  the  thing  was,  they  were  compelled  to  un- 
ravel the  nests  before  they  could  get  at  the  soft  material 
with  which  they  were  lined :  and  this  unravelling  was 
not  done  without  some  difficulty,  for  the  outside  work 
was  woven  together  like  the  rods  in  a  fine  piece  of  bas- 
ket-work. The  entrance  which  the  bird  had  left  for  its 
own  passage  in  and  out  was  so  small,  that  the  boys 
could  not  thrust  their  hands  into  it;  and,  what  was 
singular,  this  entrance,  whenever  the  bird  was  absent 
from  the  nest,  was  so  closed  up  that  it  was  difficult  to 
find  it ! 

Plaving  obtained  as  much  wadding  as  they  required 
out  of  a  pair  of  nests,  the  boys  did  not  disturb  any  of 
the  others  ;  but  permitting  them  to  hang  where  they  had 
found  them,  returned  to  the  wagons. 

They  had  not  been  long  there  before  their  attention 
was  attracted  to  another  bird,  and  one  of  a  rarer  and 
more  curious  kind  than  the  amadina.  It  did  not  differ 
much  from  the  latter  in  point  of  size,  but  in  the  nature 
and  color  of  its  plumage — which  was  most  curious  Ju- 
iced The  bird  which  now  occupied  the  attention,  no! 


282  WIDOW-BIRDS. 

only  of  Klaas  and  Jan,  but  of  all  the  others,  was  about 
the  size  of  a  canary-bird ;  but  its  long  tail-feathers, 
several  times  the  length  of  its  body,  gave  it  the  appear- 
ance of  being  much  larger  than  it  really  was. 

Its  color  was  of  a,  very  dark  glossy  brown,  or  nearly 
black,  upon  the  head  and  over  the  upper  parts  of  the 
body.  Around  the  neck  was  a  collar  of  orange  rufous, 
which  grew  paler  upon  the  breast,  ending  in  a  buf! 
tinge  over  the  abdomen,  lower  parts  of  the  body,  and 
thighs. 

Hut  it  was  in  the  tail-feathers  that  the  peculiarity  of 
this  bird  appeared.  Of  these,  two  were  immensely  long, 
set  vertically,  or  "  edgeways,"  and  curving  far  outward 
and  downward.  Two  others,  much  shorter,  also  stood 
out  edgeways  above  the  first.  These  were  broadly 
webbed  at  their  bases,  being  at  their  widest  full  three 
inches  across ;  while  their  tips,  for  the  length  of  three 
inches  more,  were  entirely  without  any  feathery  web, 
and  looked  like  a  pair  of  stiff  hairy  spines  projecting 
outward.  Besides  these  two  pairs  of  vertical  feathers, 
there  were  four  others  on  each  side  of  the  tail,  nicely 
graduated  one  above  the  other,  each  being  about  a  quar- 
ter of  an  inch  shorter  than  the  one  immediately  below 
it.  All  these  tail-feathers  were  black. 

Hnt  one  of  these  birds  was  seen  by  the  boys  at  their 
camp;  but  they  noticed  that  it  was  accompanied  bj 
another  bird  of  a  rusty  brown  and  whitish  color,  ani,' 
with  a  tail  of  the  ordinary  kind.  This  companion  waj 
neither  more  nor  less  than  the  female  ;  while  the  guudj 
creature  with  the  orange  color  and  long  tail  plumes  wa* 
we  male. 

Haas's  knowledge  was  now  brought  into  requisition, 


WIDOW-BIRDS.  283 

for  the  others  had  never  seen  this  urious  bird,  and 
knew  not  to  what  species  it  belonged.  Hans  told  them 
it  also  was  one  of  the  weaver-birds ;  known  among 
uaLuralists  by  the  name  Vidua;  among  the  French  as 
u  La  veuve ; "  and  among  the  English  as  "  Widow-bird.*1 
All  of  the  party  regarded  this  as  a  very  singular  name 
for  the  bird ;  and  at  once  called  upon  the  naturalist  for 
an  explanation  of  it.  Fortunately,  Hans  was  able  to 
give  them  this ;  and  that  was  more  than  the  learned 
Brisson — he  who  baptized  it  Vidua  and  La  veuve — haa 
been  able  to  do. 

"  Brisson,"  said  Hans,  "  has  named  the  little  creature 
4  widow-bird,'  because  he  had  heard  that  it  was  so  called 
among  the  Portuguese  ;  and  the  French  naturalist  assigns 
as  a  reason  that  it  was  so  called  on  account  of  its  color 
and  long  tail !  Such  writers  as  Monsieur  Brisson  and 
Monsieur  Buffon  are  never  at  a  loss  for  reasons.  Now 
it  so  happens  that  neither  its  color  nor  tail  had  any  thing 
to  do  with  the  origin  of  its  name  '  widow-bird,'  which 
of  itself  is  quite  a  misnomer.  The  Portuguese,  who  first 
drew  attention  to  this  bird,  called  it  '  Whidah  '  bird,  from 
the  fact  that  it  was  received  by  them  from  the  kingdom 
of  Whidah  in  Western  Africa.  That  is  the  way  in  which 
the  bird  has  received  its  appellation." 

The  Whidah-bird,  on  account  of  its  lively  habits,  but 
more  from  the  singularity  of  its  tail-plumes,  is  a  great 
favorite  as  a  pet;  and  is  often  seen  in  cages,  whsre  it 
hops  from  perch  to  perch  without  fear  of  constraint,  and 
alternately  depresses  and  elevates  its  long  tail  with  groat 
vivacity.  It  is  usually  fed  upon  grain  arid  several  kinds 
of  herbs,  and  is  exceedingly  fond  of  bathing  itself  in 
water.  It  moults  twice  a  year;  and  during  one  period 


^84  WIDOW-BIRDS. 

the  male  loses  the  long  plumes  which  distinguish  bin 
from  his  mate,  and  altogether  becomes  so  changed  in 
color,  that  the  sexes  are  not  then  very  easily  told  apart, 
ft  is  only  during  tlie  breeding  season  that  the  cock  Win- 
da  h  bird  attains  his  fine  tail,  and  the  orange  and  black 
colors  of  his  plumage. 

There  are  two  species  of  Whidah-birds  known  to 
naturalists.  The  "  Paradise  widow-bird  "  (  Vidua  para~ 
disea)  is  the  one  described  above ;  and  another  which 
is  called  the  "  Red-billed  widow-bird,"  (  Vidua  erythro- 
rhynca.)  The  latter  is  a  smaller  species,  and  di tiers 
from  the  other  in  the  arrangement  of  the  tail  feathers. 
Its  bill  is  of  a  deep  red  color — whence  the  trivial  name  ; 
and  its  plumage  is  of  a  bluish-black  upon  the  upper 
parts  of  the  body,  with  a  white  collar  around  the  neck, 
^vhite  wing  coverts,  and  whitish  underneath. 

Its  habits,  however,  are  precisely  similar  to  those  of 
the  species  Paradisea  ;  and  both  are  found  inhabiting 
the  same  countries,  viz  :  Western  Africa.  The  range 
of  neither  reaches  as  far  southward  as  the  Cape  Colony, 
but  one  of  the  species  extends  to  the  countries  north- 
ward of  the  great  Orange  River,  and  is  occasionally, 
though  rarely,  seen. 

On  account  of  its  rarity  in  these  parts,  the  young 
yagers,  arid  particularly  the  naturalist  Unit*,  were  de- 
sirous of  obtaining  its  skin ;  and  for  this  purpose  the 
Act-guns  were  levelled,  and  both  the  "  widows  "  we re 
JulJ  lessly  brought  down  from  their  perch. 


THE    PIQCE-B-ZU/S.  88,1 


CHAPTER   XLV. 

THE    PIQUF.-BCEUFS. 

OP  course  Jans,  aided  by  the  others,  immediately  sci 
about  skinnii  ^  the  widow-birds,  with  an  eye  to  their 
being  preserved.  Arend  was  his  principal  assistant,  for 
Arend  was  clever  with  his  hands ;  and  was,  moreover, 
as  good  a  taxidermist  as  Hans  himself.  It  never 
troubled  Arend  to  know  the  genus  or  species  of  a  bird ; 
but  give  him  the  bird  itself,  and  he  could  strip  off  its 
skin  and  mount  it  without  leaving  a  trace  of  a  ruffled 
feather. 

While  thus  engaged,  a  noise  fell  upon  the  ears  of  the 
young  yagers  that  caused  all  of  them  to  start — Hana 
and  Arend  dropping  the  skins  of  the  widow-birds,  upon 
which  they  had  been  operating. 

The  noise  which  produced  this  startling  effect,  was 
neither  more  nor  less  than  the  cry  of  a  bird,  and  but  a 
amall  bird  at  that.  The  note  very  much  resembled  the 
jr^ll-known  call  of  the  mistle-thrush  or  screech-cock, 
(Turdus  viscivorus.)  It  was  no  louder,  and  the  birl 
that  uttered  it  was  no  bigger  than  this  thrush  ;  but  for 
all  that,  the  note  produced  a  somewhat  terrifying  effect 
ujnm  the  yager  camp.  All  of  the  party,  both  yagers 
and  attendants,  knew  the  cry  well.  Even  the  buck-doga 
Bjinmg  to  their  feet,  and  howled  as  it  readied  their  ears; 
HIKI  the  whole  cam;:  was  suddenly  in  a  commotion. 


286  THE    riQUE-BCEUFS. 

Now,  my  young  reader,  you  will  wonder  why  the  cry 
of  a  bird,  not  bigger  than  a  blackbird,  could  create 
terror  in  the  minds  of  such  courageous  boys  as  our 
yiigers  ;  and  you  will  naturally  desire  to  know  what  sort 
oi'  Hrd  this  was. 

I  have  said  the  boys  all  knew  it,  the  attendants  and 
Jj»3  dogs  Nay,  more,  the  horses  and  oxen  recognized 
that  cry ;  and  its  effect  on  them  was  not  less  wonderful ; 
for  the  moment  it  was  heard,  the  horses  tossed  up  their 
heads,  snorted  as  if  in  terror,  and  commenced  stamped- 
ing over  tli3  ground.  The  oxen  exhibited  similar  symp- 
toms of  affright.  Yes,  horses,  oxen,  dogs,  Kaffir,  BusV 
man,  and  yagers,  were  all  affected  by  the  screech  of 
that  bird,  as  it  pealed  along  the  rocks,  and  echoed 
through  the  glen.  All  recognized  in  it  the  warning  cry 
of  the  Pique-Bwuf! 

An  account  of  this  singular  bird  will  explain  the 
cause  of  the  consternation  which  its  note  had  thus  sud- 
denly produced. 

The  "  Pique-Boeuf "  is  about  the  size  of  a  starling, 
of  a  grayish  color  over  the  body,  with  short  wings,  and 
tail  somewhat  of  a  darker  hue.  Its  feet  are  formed  for 
grasping,  and  its  claws  are  hooked  and  compressed. 
The  most  remarkable  part  of  the  bird  is  its  bill.  This 
is  of  a  quadrangular  shape,  the  lower  mandible  much 
stronger  than  the  upper  one,  and  both  swelling  towards 
the  tip,  so  as  to  resemble  a  forceps  or  pincers.  The 
purpose  of  this  formation  will  be  seen,  when  we  come  to 
speak  of  the  habits  of  the  bird. 

These  are,  indeed,  peculiar ;  and,  by  the  laws  of  or* 
nithology,  stamp  the  Pique  -tkeufs  as  a  distinct  genus  of 
birds. 


THE    PIQUE- BOEUFS. 

A  celebrated   French  ornithologist,  and  a  true 
naturalist   as    well — Le   Vaillant — thus   describes   the 
habits  of  these  bird  5 : — 

"  The  bill  of  the  Pique-Bceuf  is  fashioned  as  %  pair 
of  solid  pincers,  to  facilitate  the  raising  out  of  the  hides 
of  quadrupeds  the  larva»  of  the  gadflies,  which  ara 
there  deposited  and  nourished.  The  species,  therefore* 
anxiously  seek  out  the  herds  of  oxen,  of  buiFaloes,  of 
antelopes — of  all  the  quadrupeds,  in  short,  upon  which 
these  gadflies  deposit  their  eggs.  It  is  while  steadied, 
by  a  strong  gripe  of  the  claws  in  the  tough  and  hairy 
hide  of  these  animals,  that,  with  strong  blows  of  the  bill 
and  pc  werful  squeezes  of  the  skin,  at  the  place  where  the 
bird  perceives  an  elevation,  which  indicates  the  presence 
of  a  maggot,  he  extracts  it  with  effect.  The  animals, 
accustomed  to  the  treatment,  bear  with  the  birds  com- 
placently, and  apparently  perceive  the  service  which 
they  render  them,  in  freeing  them  from  these  true  para- 
sites, which  live  at  the  expense  of  their  proper  sub* 
stance." 

Now,  there  are  many  species  of  birds,  as  well  as  the 
Pique-Boeufs.  that  lead  a  very  similar  life,  living  prin- 
cipally upon  the  parasite  insects  that  infest  the  bodies 
of  the  larger  quadrupeds,  both  wild  and  tame.  In 
Ajneri;a,  the  "cow-bunting"  (Icterus  pecoris}  is  so 
termed  from  its  habit  of  feeding  upon  the  parasite 
insects  of  cattle  ;  and  among  other  animals  it  is  a  constant 
attendant  upon  the  immense  herds  of  buffaloes  that 
roam  over  the  great  American  prairies.  Other  speciea 
of  icterus  also  frequent  the  v;ist  cattle-herds  of  the 
South  American  plains. 

The  red-billed  weaver-bird  (Textor  erythrornynchus] 
\s  equally  th?  companion  of  the  African  buffalo ;  a»3 


^J88  THE    PIQUE-BCEUFS. 

any  one  who  has  visited  an  extensive  sheep-pasture  can- 
not fail  to  have  observed  the  common  starling  pei  ched 
upon  the  -\\oolly  backs  of  the  sheep.  The  white-ncckod 
crow  (Cbrvv*  albicollis)  is  noted  for  similar  practices, 
as  well  as  several  other  species  of  Coruidce  and  Slur- 
nidce.  All  of  these  kinds,  however — the  white-neckeJ 
crow  excepted — content  themselves  with  only  taking 
away  the  parasites,  which  are  attached  to  the  skins  of 
the  animals,  or  such  as  live  among  the  hair  and  wool—- 
none of  the  aforesaid  birds  having  in  their  bills  the 
necessary  strength  for  extracting  the  maggots  which  are 
lodged  beneath.  Now,  with  the  Pique-Bceufs,  there  is 
no  difficulty  about  this.  Their  peculiar  beaks  enable 
*hem  to  penetrate  the  toughest  hides  of  the  large  quad- 
rupeds ;  and  although  they  also  feed  upon  the  ticks  and 
other  parasites  that  rest  upon  the  surface,  they  prefer 
the  larvae  that  lie  beneath.  Hence,  these  birds  are  en- 
titled to  be  regarded  as  distinct  from  any  of  the  others ; 
and  naturalists  have  formed  them  into  a  separate  genua 
— the  genus  Buphaga,  or  "  beef-eaters." 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  point  out  the  absurdity  of 
this  name,  which  seems  to  have  been  given  from  a  mis- 
apprehension of  the  habits  of  the  birds.  The  Pique- 
Bccuf  is  no  beef-eater,  but  a  "  beef-picker,"  if  you  will, 
as  the  French  phrase  very  properly  expresses  it.  But 
M.  Brisson,  who  gave  the  name,  seems  very  much  to 
have  resembled  his  more  celebrated  countryman — thi 
great  closet  naturalist,  Buffon — in  ascribing  such  habit* 
to  birds  and  animals  as  suited  his  fancy. 

Buphaga  is  the  name  given,  and  so  let  it  stand. 

Only  two  species  have  been  yet  observed.  One  is  tltf 
Buphaga  erythrorhyncha,  or  red-billed  beef-eater — sc 
called  from  the  color  of  its  beak  which  is  a  beautiful 


THE    PIQUE    B<EUFS.  28* 

t  .»&i  T».i — nh'le,  the  more  common  species  already 
described  hits  a  yellow  beak.  The  latter  is  the  Buphaga 
Afncanct.  Both  species  are  birds  of  Africa — the  "  coral 
bill"  (Bee  corail)  being  also  a  native  of  the  island  of 
Madagascar.  The  "coral  bill"  is  smaller  than  the 
lluphaga  Africans,  and  somewhat  different  from  it  in 
tolcr.  Tie  tint  of  its  plumage  is  more  sombre.  The 
upper  parts,  head  and  throat,  are  of  an  ash-brown, 
glazed,  as  it  were,  with  bluish  ;  and  beneath,  the  bird  is 
of  a  yellowish  rust  color.  Its  bill,  also,  is  smaller  and 
less  powerful  than  that  of  its  congener. 

The  Pique-Bceufs  are  generally  seen  in  company 
but  they  never  fly  in  large  flocks.     Six  or  eight  of  them 
may  usually  be  observed  together.    They  are  very  wild 
shy  birds,  and  it  is  difficult  to  approach  within  shooting 
distance  of  them. 

The  only  chance  of  getting  near  enough  is  to  approacii 
behind  the  body  of  an  ox,  or  some  other  animal — using 
the  latter  as  a  stalking-horse,  and  driving  it  gently 
towards  those  beasts  on  whose  back  the  birds  may  be 
perched.  The  gunner,  by  then  showing  himself  sud 
denly,  may  obtain  a  shot  at  them  on  the  wing. 

Such  are  the  habits  of  the  Pique-Bceufs.  But  all 
this  does  not  explain  why  it  was  that  the  screech  of  one 
of  these  birds  had  thrown  the  camp  of  the  young  yagers 
into  such  a  state  of  excitement  or  alarm.  The  reason 
remain:;  to  be  told.  It  was  this  : — 

Of  all  the  quadrupeds  to  which  the  Pique-Bcnufs 
attach  themselves,  there  are  none  upon  which  they  are 
such  constant  attendants  as  the  rhinoceros.  This  animal 
is  the  victim  of  many  parasitical  insects — of  ticks  and 
\arva>.  His  huge  body  and  corrugated  skin,  of  su  :b 
13 


290  TI1E    PIQUE-BCEUF3, 

fast  extent,  offer  an  ample  field  for  such  creatures,  at  A 
consequently  atford  a  supply  of  food  to  the  Pique- 
Boeuf,  which  is  unfailing. 

The  rhinoceroses,  therefore,  of  all  the  four  species  thai 
inhabit  South  Africa,  are  always  attended  by  the  beef- 
eaters, which,  on  this  account,  are  known  among  hun- 
ters as  "rhinoceros-birds."  Go  where  the  rhinoceros 
will,  the  Pique-Bceufs  follow  him,  perching  upon  hia 
back,  his  head,  or  any  other  part  of  his  body,  and  re- 
maining there  quite  unconcernedly,  as  if  they  regarded 
that  situation  as  their  natural  roosting-plnce  and  home. 
The  rhinoceros  himself  never  dreams  of  molesting  them. 
On  the  contrary,  he  finds  their  presence  extremely  use- 
ful to  him.  Not  only  do  they  give  him  ease,  by  destroy- 
ing the  insects  that  would  otherwise  annoy  him,  but  in 
another  sense  they  do  him  an  essential  service.  They 
warn  him  of  the  approach  of  the  hunter,  or  any  other 
danger.  The  moment  such  appears,  the  rhinoceros,  who 
himself  may  have  been  asleep,  is  instantly  aroused  by 
the  harsh  screeching  of  the  birds,  and  put  upon  his 
guard.  Should  their  voices  fail  to  awake  him,  these 
cunning  sentinels  will  flutter  around  his  head,  and  peck 
into  his  ears  until  they  succeed  in  giving  the  alarm. 
With  elephants  and  hippopotami  they  act  in  a  similiu1 
manner  ;  so  that  one  of  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered 
by  the  hunter  in  pursuit  of  these  animals,  i*  the  vigil- 
ance of  the  little  winged  serdnel  that  tl»u3  keeps 
watch  over  their  sleep  ! 

It  was  this  curious  habit,  then — well  known  to  every 
creature  in  the  camp — that  caused  all  hands  to  start  up 
on  hearing  the  screech  of  the  Pique-Boeuf.     Tie  pr«s- 
ence  of  ihe  bird  announced  the  proximity  of  the  'Tup 
cniu-:  "  rhinoster." 


CHAh3ED    BT   MTJCHOCHO8. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 

CHARGED    BY    "  MUCHOCHOS." 

Ar,L  eyes  were  instantly  turned  in  the  direction 
whence  came  the  "  skreek "  of  the  bird,  and  there, 
sure  enough,  were  a  brace  of  rhinoceroses  of  the  big- 
gest kind.  They  were  just  entering  the  little  glen, 
through  the  gap  before  mentioned ;  and  were  coming 
down  the  channel  of  the  river,  plunging  through  the 
water  as  they  walked  knee-deep. 

The  superior  size  of  their  bodies,  as  well  as  their 
color,  told  they  were  white  rhinoceroses  ;  and  the  long 
horn  upon  the  snout,  pointing  slightly  backward  instead 
of  forward,  showed  they  were  of  that  species  known 
among  the  natives  as  "  muchocho,"  and  among  natural- 
ists as  Rhinoceros  simus. 

The  other  species  of  white  rhinoceros  is  the  "  kobao- 
ba,"  lately  named  Rhinoceros  Oswellii ;  although  in 
tny  opinion  it  should  have  been  Rhinoceros  Gumminyii 
— since  the  great  lion-hunter  was  not  only  the  lirst  to 
give  any  definite  characteristics  of  this  rare  species,  but 
more  than  any  other  man  has  he  contributed  to  a 
knowledge  or  the  South- African  fauna. 

The  principal  distinction  between  the  kobaoba  and 
<jQuchocho  is  observed  in  the  set  and  size  of  the  horns 


292  CHARGED    BY   MtJCHOCHOS. 

In  neither  species  is  the  posterior  horn  any  thing  mor< 
than  a  conical  knob  of  six  or  seven  inches  in  length , 
hut  in  each  the  anterior  horn  is  very  long — far  exceed- 
ing that  of  the  black  rhinoceroses.  In  the  kobaoba,  thia 
horn  sometimes  reaches  to  the  enormous  length  of  four 
feet,  and  even  exceeds  that  measurement ;  while  in  the 
muchocho,  three  feet  is  the  limit.  In  the  fcrmer  the 
horn  projects  forward,  standing  at  an  angle  of  forty-five 
degrees  with  the  line  of  the  snout ;  whereas  that  of  the 
muchocho  is  erect,  with  a  slight  curve  or  sweep  back- 
wards. 

Both  species  far  exceed  in  size  the  two  kinds  of 
black  rhinoceros,  and  are  fully  equal  to  their  great 
Asiatic  congener — he  with  the  curious  shield-like  skin, 
so  well  known  in  picture-books,  museums,  and  zoologi- 
cal gardens.  In  other  words,  the  white  rhinoceroses  of 
South  Africa  are  in  point  of  magnitude,  after  the 
elephant,  the  largest  quadrupeds  in  the  world.  In  point 
of  habits  they  differ  altogether  from  the  black  species. 
They  are  grass-feeders,  as  the  shape  of  their  muzzle 
testifies ;  while  the  black  kinds  browse  upon  various 
kinds  of  shrubs  and  acacia  thorns,  and  are  furnished 
with  a  prehensile  lip  for  the  purpose  of  more  easily 
grasping  the  twigs  and  branches. 

As  has  been  elsewhere  observed,  in  disposition  the 
two  kinds  are  also  very  different.  The  black  rhimtce- 
roses — both  "  borele  "  and  "  keitloa  " — are  of  an  ex- 
tremely vicious  and  malignant  nature,  and  more 
dangerous  even  than  the  lion.  They  are  swift  of  foot ; 
tu id,  but  for  their  defective  powers  of  vision,  it  would 
be  a  perilous  thing  to  approach  them.  The  white 
ipecies,  on  the  contrary,  are  slow,  and  less  disposed  w 


CHARGED    BY   MUCHOCHOS.  29S 

make  an  attack  upon  man.  When  these  are  wounded, 
or  are  accompanied  by  their  young,  the  case  is  different 
They  then  exhibit  all  the  ferocity  of  their  race ;  and 
many  a  native  hunter  has  fallen  a  victim  to  the  rage  of 
both  the  kobaoba  and  muchocho. 

The  flesh  of  the  two  last-named  species  is  excellent 
eating — being  almost  as  good  as  fresh  pork.  It  is  not 
so  with  the  flesh  of  the  black  rhinoceros,  which  is 
strong,  rancid,  and  bitter. 

Now,  knowing  the  general  disposition  of  the  "  mu« 
chochos,"  and  knowing  also  the  delicate  flesh  which 
these  animals  afford  to  the  hunter,  our  young  yagers  at 
seeing  them  lost  all  sense  of  alarm.  They  at  once 
rushed  to  their  guns,  and  commenced  preparing  to  re- 
ceive the  advancing  quadrupeds.  Had  it  been  boreles 
or  keitloas,  they  would  have  acted  differently ;  and 
would,  perhaps,  have  thought  only  of  flying  to  their 
houses,  or  of  ensconcing  themselves  in  the  wagons.  Of 
white  rhinoceroses,  however,  they  had  no  fear ;  and 
having  armed  themselves,  they  advanced  boldly  and 
openly  to  the  conflict. 

By  this  time  the  muchochos  had  got  fairly  through 
the  pass ;  and,  climbing  out  of  the  river-channel,  stood 
up  on  the  grassy  sward  of  the  meadow.  Their  naked 
bodies,  thus  fully  exposed  to  view,  appeared  of  enormom 
size.  One,  however,  was  much  bigger  than  the  other—- 
in fact,  quite  as  Iarg3  as  a  female  elephant — for  it  was 
full  sixteen  feet  in  length  from  the  tip  of  its  long  bluni 
snout  to  the  ^  whisk  "  upon  the  top  of  its  short  tail. 

But  what  caused  astonishment  to  the  advancing  hun- 
ters was  the  fact,  that  instead  of  the  two  of  thes« 
animals  which  Uiey  had  already  seen,  three  now  ap 


4  CHARGED  BY  MUCHOCHO8. 

pearetl  upon  the  bank.  The  third,  however,  was  no/ 
larger  than  an  ordinary  hog ;  and,  excepting  that  it* 
snout  wanted  the  characteristic  horn,  it  might  have 
passed  for  a  miniature  of  the  other  two.  Small  as  it  wa,?, 
there  was  no  mistaking  it  for  any  other  animal  than  ft 
rhinoceros ;  and  its  size  as  well  as  actions  showed  that 
it  was  the  young,  or  "  calf,"  of  the  two  old  ones,  that 
were  respectively  its  male  and  female  parent. 

The  hunters  were  delighted  with  this  new  discovery. 
The  flesh  of  the  young  white  rhinoceros  is  much  more 
delicate  and  tender  than  that  of  the  full-grown  ones  ; 
and  all  of  them,  but  particularly  Swartboy  and  Congo, 
now  indulged  in  the  anticipation  of  a  rare  treat. 

No  one  thought  of  the  increased  danger  of  their  thus 
attacking  the  rhinoceros  in  company  with  its  young. 
That  was  forgotten  in  the  hurry  and  excitement  of  the 
moment.  The  prudent  Hans  alone  had  some  misgivings  ; 
but  carried  away  by  the  enthusiasm  of  his  companions, 
he  failed  to  make  them  known.  In  ten  seconds  after- 
wards a  volley  of  reports  rang  through  the  little  glen ;  and 
by  that  same  volley  a  shower  of  bullets — varying  in 
size  from  the  large  ounce-ball  of  the  elephant-gun  to  the 
small  pea  of  the  rifle — was  poured  upon  the  muchochos. 

The  only  visible  effect  produced  upon  the  auimals 
was  to  cause  them  suddenly  to  change  their  gait,  from 
fLe  slow  waddle  at  which  they  had  been  advancing,  to  a 
brisk  rapid  gallop,  which  was  directed  precisely  toward 
ihe  spot  where  the  hunters  were  standing !  At  the  same 
time  the  huge  animals  were  heard  to  snort  and  blow  like 
porpoises ;  and  the  sparkling  of  their  small  eyes,  the 
quick  lashing  of  their  saucy  tails,  and  the  long  horns  sel 
horizontally,  showed  that  they  were  charging  forward  in 
the  full  bent  of  their  fury.  The  "  calf  "  followed  in  the 


CHA«GED    BY   HUCHOCHOS.  295 

rear,  imitating  the  noise  and  actions  of  its  ponderous 
parents. 

This  to  the  hunters  was  a  movement  wholly  unex- 
pected. Had  it  been  borele  or  keitloa  there  would  have 
been  nothing  strange  in  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  jus! 
as  -either  of  the  black  rhinoceroses  would  have  acted, 
But  from  muchocho — usually  so  harmless  as  to  be  called 
cowardly  and  stupid — an  attack  of  this  nature  was  quite 
unlooked  for.  The  report  of  a  gun,  or  even  the  bark 
ing  of  a  dog,  will  usually  put  the  muchocho  to  flight. 

But  our  yagers  had  not  reasoned  correctly  when  they 
expected  these  either  to  fall  to  their  shots,  or  take  to 
instant  flight.  They  had  forgotten  the  presence  of  the 
calf.  That  it  was  which  caused  the  white  rhinoceroses 
to  act  upon  this  occasion  contrary  to  their  usual  habit — 
that,  and  perhaps  the  wounds  they  had  received — for 
several  of  the  bullets,  although  not  fatal,  had  made  pain 
ful  wounds.  So  much  the  worse. 

Of  course,  none  of  the  young  yagers  stood  their 
ground  to  receive  this  heavy  charge.  Their  guns  were 
now  empty,  and  it  would  have  been  of  no  use.  On  the 
contrary,  each  and  every  one  of  them  turned  instanter ; 
and  no  mischievous  urchin  ever  ran  faster  from  a  parish 
beadle  than  did  all  six  of  them  towards  the  camp.  The 
tails  of  their  coats  made  a  considerable  angle  with  the 
tine  of  their  backs,  as  they  "  sloped  "  across  the  level 
erard  of  that  little  meadow. 

The  short  thick  Bushman  and  the  tall  lank  Kaffir — 
both  of  whom  had  gone  forth  to  the  attack — were  not  a 
bit  behind  in  the  retreat ;  and  the  whole  eight  were 
mingled  together  in  such  a  helter-skelter  pell-mell  race, 
as  had  never  before  been  witnessed  in  that  silent  and 
solitary  glen. 


A    KIDE    UPON    A    RHINOCEROS. 


CHAPTER   XLVII. 

A    RIDE    UPON    A    RHINOCEROS. 

F  JRTUNATELY  for  all  they  were  not  distant  from  llieif 
wagons  when  thus  charged  upon.  They  had  advanced 
only  a  few  paces  before  delivering  their  fire,  and  these 
few  paces  were  all  they  had  to  run  back,  before  they 
sprang  up  into  the  capacious  vehicles.  Had  it  been 
otherwise — had  the  chase  only  lasted  twenty  yards  far- 
ther— most  undoubtedly  one  or  more  of  the  party  would 
have  been  hoisted  upon  the  horns  of  the  pursuing 
animals,  or  trampled  under  their  broad  brutal  hoofs. 

As  it  was,  the  hindmost  of  them  had  a  narrow  escape 
of  it ;  for  they  had  hardly  taken  shelter  under  the.  cap- 
tents  of  the  wagons,  when  the  horns  of  the  mucbochos 
were  heard  rattling  against  the  planks. 

Although  they  had  fled  to  the  wagons  for  want  of  a 
better  place,  they  were  far  from  feeling  secure.  They 
knew  that  these  immense  brutes,  should  they  take  it  into 
their  heads,  could  soon  demolish  the  vehicles,  strong 
as  these  were.  What  was  their  consternation,  then,  at 
seeing  the  old  bull  suddenly  lower  his  head,  and  charge 
forward  upon  one  of  the  wagons,  in  which  several  of 
them  had  taken  refuge  ! 

The  next  moment  was  heard  the  terrible  concussios 


A   RIDE    UPON'    A    RHINOCEROS  31 

— the  horn  of  the  muchocho  struck  the  "  bulk  plank," 
passing  clear  through  it — the  timber  split  from  end  to 
end — the  "  achter  kist "  was  shivered  to  pieces,  and  the 
huge  vehicle  was  lifted  clear  from  the  ground,  and 
hoisted  several  feet  out  of  its  place !  A  simultaneous 
cry  of  alarm  broke  forth  from,  the  occupants  of  the 
wagon — which  was  continued  as  they  saw  the  huge 
padruped  preparing  to  repeat  the  charge. 

Al  this  crisis  the  faithful  buckdogs  performed  an 
iiaeutial  service,  and  saved,  not  only  the  wagons,  but 
perl iaps  also  the  lives  of  their  masters.  As  the  great 
bull  was  heading  once  more  towards  the  wagon,  several 
of  the  dogs  attacked  him  from  behind  ;  two  of  them 
launched  themselves  upon  his  flanks,  and  one  other 
springing  upward,  caught  hold  of  his  tail  and  hung  on  ! 

Now  the  tail  of  the  rhinoceros  is  one  of  his  tenderest 
bits ;  and  this  new  and  unexpected  mode  of  assault  quite 
disconcerted  the  old  bull.  Instead,  therefore,  of  follow- 
ing up  his  charge  upon  the  wagon,  he  turned  round  a< 
fast  as  his  unwieldy  body  would  permit,  blowing  with 
agony  and  rage.  But  the  stanch  hound  still  hung  on, 
while  the  others  kept  biting  at  the  bull's  hind  legs ;  and 
vainly  attempting  to  get  at  the  dogs,  the  huge  beast 
danced  round  and  round  like  a  kitten  after  its  own  tail 
— if  a  comparison  may  be  allowed  between  two  animals 
»f  such  unequal  magnitudes. 

This  scene  continued  for  some  minutes,  until  at  length 
the  d3gs  were  thrown  off.  One  of  them  was  crushed 
bet  sath  the  heavy  feet  of  the  rhinoceros,  while  another 
was  badly  ripped  by  the  horn  of  the  female.  But  the 
gallant  brutes  had  performed  their  part  well ;  and  by 
Tieans  of  their  balking  and  biting,  they  hud  drawn  the 
13* 


98  A   RIDE    UPON    A    RHINOCEROS. 

oaucbochos  altogether  away  from  the  wagons,  and  into  a 
different  part  of  the  meadow. 

ft  was  not  likely  they  would  return  to  the  attack  upon 
the  wagons,  unless  they  chanced  to  be  driven  that  way 
by  the  dogs — for  the  rhinoceros,  partly  from  his  low 
power  of  sight,  and  partly  from  his  forgetful  nature, 
rarely  returns  to  assault  any  object  once  he  has  quit  tod 
it. 

But  a  new  fear  now  sprang  up  in  the  minds  of  the 
young  yagers — no  longer  for  themselves,  but  for  their 
horses ! 

These  animals,  as  already  stated,  along  with  the  oxen, 
had  been  left  grazing  upon  the  meadow,  without  any 
fastening.  When  the  muchochos  first  appeared,  both 
oxen  and  horses  had  taken  to  flight.  The  oxen  had 
gone  toward  the  lower  end  of  the  meadow ;  and,  guided 
by  a  cunning  old  leader,  had  set  off  upon  their  back 
trail  over  the  ridge  by  which  they  had  entered.  The 
horses,  on  the  contrary,  had  remained  prancing  around 
the  wagons,  until  the  muchochos  came  upon  the  spot ; 
and,  then  dashing  off  together,  had  leaped  the  stream, 
and  taken  their  stand  trembling  and  cowering  close  by 
the  cliffs  on  the  opposite  side.  Here  they  had  remained 
during  the  early  part  of  the  fight  between  the  dogs  and 
muchochos. 

But  in  the  course  of  thia  conflict  both  the  dogs  and 
their  huge  adversaries  had  worked  up  to  the  spot  where 
the  horses  were,  and  once  more  set  the  latter  in  motion. 

Seeing  these,  the  rhinoceroses  immediately  started 
after  them — perhaps  deeming  them  antagonists  more 
worthy  of  their  horns ;  and  now  for  some  minutes  a 
terrible  melee  of  charging  muchochos  and  galloping 


A    RIDE   UPON   A    RHINOCEROS. 

uteeds  filled  the  measure  of  the  glen — the  former  blow 
ing  and  snorting  with  rage,  while  the  latter  snorted  with 
affright. 

Fortunately,  the  small  circumference  within  which 
this  scene  was  enacted,  enabled  the  hunters  to  use  their 
pieces  with  effect ;  and  whenever  either  of  the  rhinoc- 
eroses came  to  a  stand,  if  but  for  a  moment,  the  crack 
of  a  gun  could  be  heard,  and  the  thud  of  a  bullet  hitting 
against  their  thick  hides.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose 
that  a  leaden  bullet  will  not  penetrate  the  skin  of  a 
rhinoceros.  On  the  contrary,  the  hide,  though  thick,  is 
comparatively  soft,  and  yields  easily  to  either  a  spear  or 
a  ball — so  that  every  shot  took  effect.  The  hunters, 
par  excellence,  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem,  fired  most 
of  the  shots,  aiming  behind  the  fore-shoulder  for  the 
heart  and  lungs — for  in  these  parts  the  shot  proves 
fatal.  A  bullet  into  the  brain  would  have  a  like  effect ; 
but  as  the  brain  of  the  rhinoceros  is  exceedingly  small 
in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  animal,  it  requires  a  sure 
aim  to  strike  it ;  and  the  more  certain  way  is  to  aim  for 
the  lungs. 

So  aimed  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  ;  and  what  with 
the  large  leaden  balls  of  the  roer,  and  the  small  but  bet- 
ter directed  pellets  of  the  rifle,  both  the  muchochos  were 
»t  length  made  to  bite  the  dust.  The  calf  was  sliot 
afterwards ;  for  after  the  fall  of  its  parents,  the  creature 
lid  not  attempt  to  run  away,  but  stood  by  the  body  of  ita 
mother,  jerking  its  little  tail  about,  and  wondering  what 
the  trouble;  was  all  about. 

A  very  ludicrous  scene  was  now  witnessed,  that  caused 
the  young  yagers  to  break  into  an  uncontrollable  fit  of 
laughter.  Their  laughter,  however,  did  not  come  untij 


30C  A   RIDE    UPON    A    RHINOCEROS. 

after  the  incident  was  over  which  gave  rise  to  it — fo« 
there  was  danger  in  the  scene,  and  it  was  somewhat 
painful  to  witness  it. 

It  was  as  follows.  The  rhinoceros,  like  the  American 
bison,  when  shot  down  by  the  hunter,  rarely  falls  in  the 
common  way  of  other  animals — upon  its  side — but 
usually  sinks  down  upon  his  breast,  and  there  remains 
even  after  death  has  taken  place. 

The  two  shot  by  Hendrik  and  Groot  Willem  had 
offered  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Both  lay  upon  their 
bellies  at  a  little  distance  from  the  wagons,  their  broad 
massive  backs  turned  upward. 

Now  a  practice  equally  common  among  Bushmen, 
whenever  a  rhinoceros  has  been  killed,  is  to  leap  upon 
the  animal's  back,  thrust  their  spears  into  its  flesh  to  try 
the  depth,  and  discover  whether  the  game  be  fat,  and 
consequently  valuable ! 

In  the  carrying  out  of  this  custom,  no  sooner  had  the 
great  bull  rhinoceros  sunk  down  under  the  shots,  than 
our  Bushman,  Swartboy,  seeing  that  all  danger  was  over, 
leaped  forth  from  the  wagon,  and  running  up  to  where 
the  dead  animal  lay,  sprang  upon  its  back !  Shouting 
out  a  wild  cry  of  triumph,  he  plunged  his  assegai  into 
the  flesh  of  the  muchocho  to  the  depth  of  a  foot  or  more. 

Almost  at  the  same  instant,  the  animal,  which  was  not 
yet  dead,  rose  to  its  feet  again,  and  charged  once  more 
Riross  the  sward,  with  the  Bushman  upon  its  back ! 

The  shout  of  triumph,  which  Swartboy  had  uttered, 
was  suddenly  interrupted,  and  cries  of  a  far  different 
import  now  rang  through  the  glen;  while  the  rhinoceros, 
no  doubt  impelled  to  fresh  energy  of  life  by  the  terrible 
pain  he  suffered  from  the  Bushman's  spear,  charged 
round  and  round,  as  though  he  had  quite  recovered  ! 


A.   RIDE   UPON   A  RHINOCEROS.  301 

Swartboy,  on  the  other  hand,  dared  not  leap  to  the 
ground,  lest  he  might  be  impaled  upon  the  dread  horns, 
but  held  fast  to  the  spear,  which,  still  buried  in  the 
animal's  thick  flesh,  served  him  as  a,  point  d'appui! 

How  Swartboy  would  have  been  delivered,  had  the 
strength  of  the  muchocho  held  out,  it  is  hard  to  say; 
but  this  gave  way  at  length,  and  the  huge  quadruped 
once  more  sank  to  the  earth,  pitching  the  Bushman 
several  yards  over  his  head ! 

Swartboy  did  not  lie  long  where  he  had  been  flung ; 
but,  sprawling  up  again,  ran  back  at  top  speed  to  the 
wagons,  where  he  was  welcomed  by  yells  of  laughter  I 
The  oxen  were  soon  overtaken  and  brought  back,  the 
calf  of  the  muchocho  regularly  butchered,  and  that 
niglu  the  young  yagers  enjoyed  a  supper  of  "  rlnnooeros 
reai." 


02  JAN   AND    THE    KOOEHAAWiS. 


CHAPTER    XLV11I. 

JAN    AND    TIIK    KOOUHAANS. 

THE  next  camp  of  the  young  yagers  was  fixed  in  a 
beautiful  valley  very  similar  to  that  in  which  they  had 
seen  the  troop  of  lions,  hut  of  larger  extent,  and  having 
its  whole  surface  enamelled  with  bright  flowers. 

There  were  mountains  all  around,  that  seemed  to  shut 
in  this  fair  picture  and  protect  it  from  the  hot  dry  winds 
of  the  desert.  A  river  wound  through  its  midst  like  a 
silvery  serpent;  and  here  and  there  upon  the  pools, 
where  there  was  not  much  current,  rested  the  wax-like 
leaves  and  flowers  of  the  blue  lily  of  South  Africa, 
(Nympha  cerulea.)  Upon  the  plain  grew  trees  and 
plants  of  various  sorts  peculiar  to  the  botany  of  the 
country.  The  eyes  of  the  travellers  rested  upon  many 
a  fair  form.  Upon  the  banks  of  the  stream  they  saw 
the  drooping  fronds  of  the  Chaldean  willow  ;  and  by  the 
foot  of  the  mountain  the  splendid  Acacia  eburnea,  with 
its  umbrella-shaped  head,  and  clusters  of  golden  flowers 
filling  the  air  with  their  fragrance.  They  saw  the 
valuable  wax-berry,  (Myrica  cerifera,)  yielding  it?  clus- 
ters of  white  wax-coated  fruit.  They  saw  the  perfumed 
"  bead-bush,"  out  of  whose  fragrant  roots  are  shaped  the 
beads  held  in  such  esteem  among  the  savage  belj-«i  of 


JAN    AND    TITK    KOORHAAXS.  30.T 

the  land  They  SPW  the  "  sugar-bush,"  (Protea  mellif- 
tra,)  with  its  large  cup-.-haped  pink  and  white  flowers, 
— the  most  beautiful  of  the  tribe  of  Proteacece.  There, 
too,  were  scarlet  geraniums,  with  marigolds,  and  starry 
Cape  jessamines,  forming  a  garden  in  the  wilder  nes« 
pleasant  to  the  eye  and  fragrant  to  the  sense. 

The  songs  of  numerous  birds  fell  upon  the  ear,  and 
their  brilliant  plumage  could  be  seen  as  they  fluttered 
among  the  branches.  The  hum  of  bees,  too,  was  heard ; 
and  thousands  of  these  busy  insects  could  be  seen  flut- 
tering from  flower  to  flower. 

It  was  still  early  when  the  party  arrived  in  this 
delightful  spot ;  but  so  pleased  were  all  of  them  with 
the  scene  around  that  they  determined  to  halt  before  the 
usual  hour  and  encamp  there  for  the  night. 

So,  choosing  a  pretty  grove  of  willow-leafed  "  clean- 
wood  "  trees,  that  stood  near  the  bank  of  the  river,  they 
outepanned  under  their  shade. 

As  they  were  wearied  by  their  exertions  in  getting 
the  oxen  over  some  rocky  ridges,  all  lay  down  to  rest 
under  the  cool  shadow  of  the  olean  woods ;  and  several 
of  the  boys  went  to  sleep,  lulled  by  the  sweet  voices  of 
the  birds,  the  humming  of  wild  bees,  and  the  rushing 
sound  of  the  water  as  it  passed  over  some  rapids  below. 

Klaas  and  Jan,  however,  had  not  gone  to  sleep  with 
the  rest,  for  neither  had  laid  their  shoulders  to  the  wagon- 
wheels,  and  were,  therefore,  no  more  tired  than  usual. 
Besides,  there  was  something  nigh  at  hand  that  would 
have  kept  both  awake,  even  had  they  been  a  good  deal 
fatigued,  and  that  was  the  appearance  of  a  pair  of  very 
odd-looking  birds  out  upon  the  plain,  at  no  great  dis- 
tance from  the  wagons,  and  that  every  now  and  then 


304  JAN    AND    THE    KOORHAANS. 

raised  their  black  top-knots  above  the  grass  and  uttered 
a  cry  something  like  the  croak  of  a  raven. 

These  birds  were  not  so  very  large — about  the  sizo 
of  common  fowls — but  they  were  game-birds,  having 
flesh  of  excellent  flavor,  and  this  rendered  them  interest- 
ing at  the  moment.  They  were,  also,  of  very  elegant 
forms — something  of  the  tall  majestic  shape  of  the  bus* 
tards.  In  fact,  they  were  of  a  species  that  forms  a  sort 
of  link  between  the  bustards  and  grouse  families ;  and 
are  known  in  South  Africa  as  "  koorhaaris,"  and  in  India 
by  the  name  of  "  floricans." 

But  it  was  nothing  of  all  this  that  rendered  them  so 
interesting  to  Klaas  and  Jan.  It  was  that  the  latter 
knew  a  very  curious  method  of  capturing  these  very 
birds,  and  he  was  in  a  perfect  fever  to  put  it  in  practice 
right  before  the  eyes  of  the  rival  bird-boy  Klaas.  In 
fact,  ever  since  the  day  that  Klaas  had  so  distinguished 
himself  by  knocking  over  the  klipspringer,  Jan  had  been 
burning  for  an  opportunity  to  perform  some  feat  of  equal 
pretensions,  but  none  had  turned  up.  Now  that  these 
birds — old  acquaintances  of  Jan's  they  were — had  made 
their  appearance,  he  saw  a  fair  chance  of  gaining  some 
renown.  He  would  show  Klaas  how  to  catch  koorhaans 
in  a  proper  manner — that  he  would.  So  said  Jan. 

Jan  was  not  long  in  having  his  triumph,  which  he  ob- 
tained in  the  following  manner. 

He  first  pulled  some  long  hair  from  the  tail  of  hid 
pony,  which  he  twisted  into  a  large  stout  snare.  Ho 
next  proceeded  to  Swartboy,  and  borrowed  from  the 
Bushman  his  whip,  or  rather  the  handle  of  the  whip—- 
for Swartboy  took  off  the  lash  to  accommodate  him.  It 
oui^t  be  here  remembered  that  J;m  and  Swartboy  were 


JAN   AND    THE   KOORHAAN3.  305 

great  allies,  and  had  been  so  for  a  long  time ;  and  it  was 
in  reality  Swartboy  who  had  taught  Jan  the  curious 
mode  he  was  about  to  practise  upon  the  koorhaans.  Fl 
mu.-t  also  be  remembered  that  the  handle  of  Swartboy'a 
whip  was  an  immense  affair — a  bamboo  cane,  full  eighteen 
feet  in  length,  and  more  like  a  fishing-rod  than  a  wbip- 
handle. 

Well,  upon  the  end  of  this,  where  the  lash  had  been 
tied,  Jan  adjusted  his  snare;  and  then,  mounting  hia 
pony,  rode  forth  upon  the  plain. 

Klaas  stood  watching  him ;  and  upon  Klaas's  counte- 
nance there  was  a  puzzled  expression  that  Jan  did  not 
fail  to  notice,  and  that  delighted  him  exceedingly. 

Klaas  knew  nothing  about  the  modus  operandi— 
could  not  guess  how  the  other  was  going  to  act — and  his 
ignorance  betrayed  itself,  though  he  did  not  say  a  word. 

Was  Jan  going  to  ride  up  and  snare  the  birds? 
Surely  they  would  not  let  him  come  so  near?  They 
appeared  shy  enough,  and  would  not  let  him,  Klaiis, 
come  within  shot,  for  he  had  tried  it  but  the  minute  before. 
No :  it  could  not  be  that  way — the  koorhaans  wouldn't 
stand  it,  he  knew. 

Jan  said  nothing,  but  rode  triumphantly  forth,  looking 
askance  at  Klaas  as  he  passed  out  from  camp. 

When  within  about  one  hundred  yards  of  the  kocr- 
haaus — Klaas  expecting  every  moment  to  see  them  run 
off  as  koorhaans  usually  do — Jan  turned  the  head  of  hig 
pony,  and  commenced  riding  round  in  a  circle. 

This  he  continued  until  he  had  got  quite  round  the 
6rst  circumference;  and  then,  drawing  his  pony  slightly 
inward,  he  began  a  second  circle,  which  lie  completed 
as  the  first;  and  then  still  heading  more  inward,  hfc 


JOG  JAN    AND    TIIK    KOOHHAANS. 

made  a  third,  and  a  fourth,  and  a  fifth — of  all  which 
circles  the  bustards  formed  the  centre.  Of  course,  it  was 
not  exactly  u  circle  he  traced,  but  a  spiral  line  constantly 
narrowing  inward  upon  the  game. 

"  Oho ! "  muttered  Klaas,  u  I  see  what  he's  after  now. 
Oho ! " 

Klaas  said  nothing  more  ;  but  remained  watching  vith 
great  interest,  while  Jan  continued  round  and  round  like 
n  blind  horse  in  a  brick-mill. 

But  Jan  was  not  blind.  He  was  watching  the  move- 
ments of  the  koorhaans  with  the  sharp  eye  of  a  bird- 
catcher. 

And  these  birds  were  equally  watching  him — turning 
their  heads  now  to  this  side  and  now  to  that;  but,  like 
stupids  as  they  were,  neglecting  to  use  either  their  wings 
or  legs  to  carry  them  out  of  the  way  of  danger. 

The  result  was  that  they  permitted  the  pony,  and  Jan 
upon  its  back,  to  approach  so  near,  that  the  boy  WHS  at 
length  able  to  reach  one  of  them  with  the  top  of  Swart- 
boy's  long  whip-stick,  and  pass  the  noose  over  head,  top- 
knot, and  all. 

In  another  moment  the  bird  was  fluttering  at  the  end 
of  the  bamboo ;  and  Jan,  without  dismounting,  pulled 
the  creature  in  that  way  up  to  the  wagons,  and  held  it 
there  with  an  air  of  triumph  that  left  Klaau  v>'hout  a 
word  to  say  for  the  "balance''  of  that  eveai  ,., 


QfcOOT   WILLEM  AND    TIJK    1'VTIluN,  307 


CHAP1EK   XL  IX. 

3ROOT    "WILI.EM    AND    TIIK    I'TTHON. 

GRJOT  WILLKM  awoke  from  his  nap  befon:  tLe 
others.  It  still  wanted  nearly  two  hours  of  sunset,  ana 
ihe  hunter,  observing  a  reddish  object  at  a  distance  tluO 
looked  like  some  animal,  shouldered  his  roer  and  pro- 
ceeded towards  it.  He  took  with  him  one,  of  the  buck- 
dogs,  a  well-trained  and  favorite  hound,  that  usually 
accompanied  him — even  on  a  stalking  expedition. 

The  red  object  which  he  had  seen  was  near  the  edge. 
of  the  valley,  and  at  the  bottom  of  a  rocky  precipice 
that  bounded  it  upon  that  side.  There  were  some  trees 
growing  along  by  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  and  the  hunter 
calculated  on  being  able  to  get  a  shot  at  the  animal, 
whatever  it  was,  from  behind  the  cover  of  these  trees 
He  continued  on  up  the  valley,  and  at  length  got  near 
enough  to  teli  what  he  was  stalking  at. 

It  was  a  small  antelope,  just  about   the  size  of  th? 
klipspringer,  and  with  little  erect  horns  four  inchei   Jt 
length.      In   color,  however,  it   was    unlike   the   latter 
The  upper  parts  of  its  body  were  a  deep  red,  and  under 
neath  white,  while  its  snout  and  face  were  blacK     The 
little    creature  was   higher  at  the  croup  than   at  the 
withers,  and  entirely  without  a  tail,  or  with  a  tail  only 


508  GROOT    WILLEM    AND    THE    PVTHON. 

one   inch  long,  that   had  more   the   appearance   of  i 
Bturap. 

Groot  Willem,  when  he  came  nigh,  recognized  tbt? 
antelope  to  be  the  steenbok,  for  he  had  met  with  it  before 
as  it  is  common  throughout  the  colony,  inhabiting  high 
iying  grounds  where  there  are  bushes.  It  is  one  of 
those  classed  under  the  genus  Tragulus^  of  which  three 
other  species — all  small  antelopes — are  met  with  in 
South  Africa.  The  other  three  are  the  "grysbok," 
(Tragulus  melanotis,)  the  "  vlackte  steenbok,"  (T.  rufes- 
cens,)  and  the  "  bleekbok  ;  "  ( T.  pediotragus  ;)  though 
some  naturalists  assert  that  the  last  are  only  varieties  of 
the  steenbok,  ( T.  rupestris.)  Groot  Willem  did  not 
spend  a  thought  upon  these  matters,  he  only  thought  of 
"  stalking "  the  steenbok,  and  having  its  ribs  for  a  roast 
at  supper.  He  was  able  to  approach  it  without  any 
difficulty,  as  it  was  close  to  the  bushes,  and  appeared  not 
to  be  very  shy. 

There  was  but  the  creature  itself — a  little  buck  ;  and 
rarely  is  more  than  one,  or  at  most  two  of  these  antelopes 
seen  together — for  the  steenbok,  and  ail  the  others  of 
the  genus  Trayulus,  are  monogamous  and  solitary. 

Groot  Willem  was  at  length  within  range,  and  was 
about  to  level  his  roer  on  the  game,  when  the  move- 
ments of  the  little  animal  caused  him  to  hold  his  hand. 
Its  actions  were  very  odd,  indeed.  It  was  not  browsing 
— it  was  not  standing  still — it  \vss  not  running  awaj 
from  the  ground, — and  yet  it  was  in  constant  motion  ! 

As  already  stated,  it  was  close  in  to  the  edge  of  the 
timber,  where  a  number  of  small  olean  trees  stood 
thinly  over  the  ground.  In  front  of  these  the  little 
buck  was  dancing  about  in  a  very  original  mannee 


'MCOOT    WILLEM    AND    THE    PYTHON.  309 

Now  it  ran  to  the  right, — anon  to  the  left, — now  zigzag, 
— now  it  started  suddenly  backwards, — then  ran  for* 
wards  again, — all  the  while  its  eyes  turning  in  a  partic- 
ular direction  and  shining  brilliantly,  as  if  the  animal 
itself  was  in  a  state  of  unusual  excitement. 

Groot  Willem  looked  to  discover  the  cause  of  this 
odd  manoeuvring  on  the  part  of  the  steenbok ;  some- 
thing among  the  olean-wood  trees  seemed  to  attract  the 
notice  of  the  animal.  On  this  something  the  eyes  of 
the  hunter  rested  with  wonderment  ;  and  for  some 
moments  he  was  unable  to  make  out  what  it  was.  lie 
could  perceive  a  large  glittering  mass  near  the  bottom 
of  one  of  the  trees  ;  but  this  mass  at  first  sight  appeared 
without  any  particular  form,  and  lay  perfectly  motion- 
less. 

As  Groot  Willem  continued  to  gaze  upon  it,  however, 
it  gradually  assumed  a  form,  or  rather  his  eyes  gradually 
traced  one,  for  the  mass  had  not  yet  moved. 

A  hideous  form  it  was — though  of  smooth  and  regular 
proportions — it  was  the  form  of  a  reptile — a  serpent ! 

A  serpent  of  enormous  size,  for  the  mass  of  its  body, 
gathered  up  in  a  sort  of  irregular  coil,  covered  the 
ground  over  a  space  of  several  square  feet,  while  the 
boily  itself  seemed  thicker  than  the  thighs  of  a  full- 
grown  man  !  The  head  of  the  reptile  rested  upon  the 
top  of  the  coiled  body,  and  oa  running  his  eye  along  the 
mottled  and  glistening  outlines,  Groot  Willera  perceived 
.hat  its  tail  was  doubled  around  the  stem  of  the  ol  ;»£ 
wood,  and  held  it  with  firm  grasp — for  the  serpent 
belonged  to  a  family  whose  tails  are  furnished  with 
homy  claw-like  hooks,  giving  them  a  power  of  prehen- 
sion in  this  member  equal  to  that  of  a  hand.  This  is 


310  6ROOT    WII.LLM    AXO    THE    PYTHON. 

the  family  of  the  Boittce,  or  u  boas,r  to  which  the  one  h 
question  was  genetically  related.  It  was  i\  python — ths 
Python  Nutdlcnsis. 

Gwot  Willem  only  knew  it  a^  tin;  "  rock -snake,"  and 
tliBt  i\i  its  ordinary  desig:iation — given  it  on  account  of 
the  fa  t  oi'  its  being  a  dweller  among  rocks  and  stony 
places.  It  might  very  properly  be  called  ''rock-boa," 
which  would  distinguish  it  from  its  cousins  of  America, 
the  Anaconda,  or  "  water-boa,"  and  the  true  boa,  which 
i?  a  denizen  of  the  forest,  and  which  would  therefore 
merit  the  title  of  "  tree-boa." 

Notwithstanding  the  difference  of  the  dwelling-place 
of  the  boas  and  pythons,  their  habits  are  very  similar, 
They  lie  in  wait  for  their  prey,  capture  it  with  their 
etrong  retractile  teeth,  and  crushing  it  to  death  by  con- 
striction, swallow  it  whole — though  often  the  animal 
swallowed  is  much  larger  than  the  diameter  of  their  own 
bodies.  Their  elastic  muscles,  however,  enable  them  to 
effect  their  purpose,  aided  by  the  slippery  saliva  which 
is  copiously  supplied  from  their  glands. 

When  Groot  Willem  first  saw  the  huge  python,  its 
head  was  lying  over  the  coils  of  its  body,  and  motion- 
less. Presently,  the  head  was  raised  up  with  the  neck, 
and  several  feet  of  the  body  ;  and  the  parts,  thus  erected, 
moved  gently  from  side  to  side  with  a  sort  of  vibratory 
motion.  The  jaws  were  widely  extended,  so  that  the 
sharp  retractile  teeth  were  plainly  visible,  and  the  forked 
tongue  at  intervals  was  shot  forward,  and  gleamed  in 
the  sun.  The  eyes  of  the  septile  sparkk-d  like  fire. 

It  was  a  fearful  object  to  look  upon !  And  yet  the 
Bteenbok  did  not  appear  to  dread  it.  On  the  contrary, 
it  kept  drawing  nearer  and  n<jarer,  excited  either  by 
curiosity  or  fascination  1 


«ROOT    WILLEM   AND    THE    PYTHON. 

There  are  those  who  ridicule  the  idea  of  fascination 
on  the  part  of  serpents.  But  whether  we  are  to  believe 
in  such  a  power  or  not,  we  cannot  deny  the  fact.  Cer- 
tain it  is,  that  whether  it  be  curiosity,  fear,  or  fascination, 
both  birds  and  animals  are  moved  to  approach  not  only 
serpents,  but  crocodiles,  until  within  reach  of  the  jaws 
that  are  opened  to  devour  them.  Certain  is  this,  and 
vouched  for  by  the  testimony  of  many  a  correct  and 
reliable  observer. 

Grool  Willem  witnessed  the  strange  phenomenon. 
When  the  buck  had  "got  within  some  six  or  eight  feet 
of  the  python,  the  head  of  the  latter  suddenly  shot  out ; 
and  before  the  antelope,  which  now  appeared  making  an 
effort  to  escape,  could  spring  out  of  the  way,  it  waa 
seized  by  the  teeth  of  the  reptile,  and  dragged  towards 
the  tree ! 

A  number  of  quick  contortions  followed,  and  when 
Groot  Willem  looked  again,  the  red  body  of  the  little 
antelope  was  almost  hidden  und^r  the  thick  folds  of  the 
spotted  python,  that  writhing  ar~ .\s£  K  ir««v  "rushing  it 
to  death! 


312  GKl.AT    STRUGGLE    WITH    THE 


CHAPTER  L. 
eaooT    WILL  EM'S    GREAT    STRUGGLE  WITH  tarn 

8NAKE. 

Now  it  chanced  that  the  sight  of  that  great  serpent 
»ras  very  gratifying  to  the  eyes  of  Groot  Willem — far 
more  so  than  any  antelope.  The  reason  was,  that  a 
friend  of  his,  a  young  doctor  of  Graaf  Reinet,  who  waa 
fond  of  the  study  of  herpetology,  had  requested  him  to 
bring  home  the  skins  of  such  rare  snakes  as  he  might 
fall  in  with — but  especially  that  of  the  great  "rock- 
snake,"  which  is  not  found  in  the  colony,  not  even  so  far 
south  as  the  Orange  River. 

Here  was  a  chance  for  the  skin,  which,  up  to  this 
time,  Groot  Willem  had  searched  for  in  vain. 

He  had  another  reason  for  being  gratified  ;  and  that 
was  the  splendid  trophy  it  would  be,  provided  he  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  it  To  kill  a  snake  twenty  feet  long, 
and  half  as  thick  as  a  man — for  the  python  appeared  to 
be  both — would  be  no  small  triumph !  Where  would 
Hendrik  be  then  ? 

All  at  once  the  steenbok  was  forgotten,  and  the  snake 
became  the  object  of  the  hunter's  skill. 

Groot  Willem  had  no  skill  about  him.  He  knew  of 
Do  mode  to  attack  this  new  sort  of  enemy,  except  deal* 


OKOOT  WILLEM'S  <*REAT  STRUGGLE         313 

ing  with  it  as  he  would  with  a  quadruped — that  is,  send- 
ing a  bullet  into  it ;  and  this  he  did  the  moment  after 

His  roer  was  levelled ;  and,  glancing  through  hia 
ivory  sights,  he  fired  the  large  ball  through  the  thickest 
part  of  the  reptile's  body. 

The  latter  felt  the  shot ;  and,  suddenly  unfolding  it 
self,  dropped  the  steenbok — now  nothing  more  than  a 
mangled  carcase,  with  scarce  a  whole  bone  in  it.  The 
rapidity  with  which  the  snake  glided  off  showed  that 
l.he  wound  had  done  it  but  little  harm. 

The  hunter  thought  of  reloading  again,  when  he  per- 
ceived the  serpent  fast  making  to  the  rocks  that  in  large 
masses  lay  piled  up  near  the  bottom  of  the  cliff.  Among 
these  was  its  retreat ;  and  if  it  once  reached  them,  Groot 
Willem  saw  that  he  should  never  set  eyes  on  it  again. 

Without  staying  to  reload  his  gun,  then,  he  ran  in 
among  the  trees,  and  followed  the  direction  taken  by  the 
serpent. 

Although  these  snakes  glide  along  with  considerable 
rapidity,  they  can  by  no  means  go  so  fast  as  a  man  ;  and 
in  less  than  a  dozen  seconds  Groot  Willem  had  over- 
taken the  python,  and  for  that  matter  might  have  trod- 
den upon  its  tail. 

There  he  was  close  beside  the  fearful-looking  monster 
tut  without  the  knowledge  how  to  attack  it. 

He  began  by  striking  at  its  body  with  the  butt  of  hia 
gun ;  but  although  his  blows  were  delivered  fairly 
enough,  the  metal-shod  heel  of  his  roer  only  glanced 
from  the  slippery  skin  of  the  snake,  without  harming  it 
in  the  least,  or  even  retarding  its  progress  towards  the 
cliff.  It  made  no  attempt  to  retaliate,  but  only  sr emed 
bent  on  escaping  to  its  lair. 
14 


314  WITH  THE  SNAKE. 

It  was  almost  successful;  for  although  Groat  Wiliena 
pounded  away  with  all  his  might,  it  reached  the  rocks 
in  spite  of  him,  and  had  buried  half  of  ils  long  body 
within  a  crevice — no  doubt  the  entrance  to  its  den- 
before  the  hunter  thought  of  changing  his  tacticn. 

It  was  now  a  critical  moment  with  Groot  Wilktn. 
Another  instant,  and  the  remaining  half  of  the  snaka 
would  slip  out  of  sight,  and  then  good-bye  to  it.  What 
would  he  say  to  his  medical  friend  ?  What  to  Hendrik 
and  the  yagers  ? 

These  thoughts  inspired  him  with  renewed  energy; 
a  new  determination  to  succeed  came  over  him.  The 
snake  was  not  a  poisonous  one ;  and,  therefore,  the  en- 
counter could  not  be  very  dangerous.  It  might  bite  him, 
but  he  had  battled  with  many  a  biting  creature  before 
now,  and  conquered  them,  too.  He  would  try  his 
strength  upon  the  snake. 

He  was  not  two  seconds  of  time  on  coming  to  this 
determination  ;  and,  as  soon  as  he  had  done  so,  he  tossed 
his  roer  aside,  and  stooping  down,  seized  the  tail  of  the 
snake  in  both  hands,  and  commenced  hauling  upon  it! 

At  the  first  "  pluck  "  he  drew  the  reptile  several  feet 
outward  ;  but,  to  his  surprise,  it  then  held  fast ;  and, 
notwithstanding  his  great  strength,  he  was  unable  te 
draw  it  a  foot  farther.  The  creature  had,  no  doubt,  got 
the  forepart  of  its  body  around  an  angle  in  the  rocks; 
and,  aided  by  its  scaly  skin,  was  enabled  tc  hold  last. 

Groot  Wiliem  pulled  with  all  his  might.  A  sailor  iu 
a  storm  could  not  have  hauled  harder  upon  the  main 
brace ;  but  all  to  no  purpose,  as  not  another  foot  of  that 
part  of  the  python  that  was  still  visible  could  b« 
engthened.  About  the  half  of  it  was  ptill  outside,  buf 


GROOT    WILLICM'S    GKEAT    STRUGGLE  315 

the  other  ten  feet  were  buried  within  the  dark  recesse* 
«f  the  rocks. 

For  several  minutes  Gix>ot  Willem  continued  to  exert 
his  strength,  dragging  the  long  cylinder  until  he  could 
hear  its  vertebrae  crack,  but  without  gaining  an  inch  I 
On  the  contrary,  he  had  already  lost  several  inches. 
Every  time  that  he  relaxed  his  hold,  the  python  waa 
enabled  to  move  forward  a  bit,  and  this  ground  it  never 
gave  up  again.  If  Groot  Willem  allowed  it  an  inch,  it 
was  sure  to  struggle  for  an  ell !  It  had  all  the  advan- 
tage on  its  side,  as  it  pulled  with  the  grain,  while  its 
antagonist  was  exerting  his  strength  against  it. 

Groot  Willem  felt  confident  he  could  hold  the  python 
in  this  position,  as  long  as  he  could  stand  upon  his 
feet ;  but  what  good  would  there  be  in  so  doing  ?  He 
could  not  kill  it  in  that  way.  If  he  were  to  "  let  go  "  for 
but  an  instant,  he  very  well  knew  that  the  next  instant 
would  show  him  the  last  inch  of  the  tail  disappearing 
into  the  crevice  \  No,  he  could  not  let  go,  and  he  waa 
resolved  not  to  let  go,  until  he  should  at  least  try  the 
patience  of  his  opponent.  Maybe  it  would  tire  of  being 
thus  held  upon  the  "  stretch,"  and  would  let  him  pull  it 
out  again. 

If  there  had  only  been  some  one  with  him  to  admin- 
ister a  few  smart  blows  upon  the  creature's  body  it 
would  have  been  all  well ;  but  the  camp  was  at  a  very 
long  distance  otl  and  behind  the  trees.  His  companions 
B<uld  neither  see  nor  hear  him. 

Alter  standing  on  the  strain  a  considerable  time,  a 
bright  idea  entered  the  brain  of  the  hunter.  There 
grew  a  small  tree  beside  him — in  fact,  he  was  close  by 
its  trunk.  The  thought  occurred  that,  if  by  any  mean? 


16  WITH    THE    SNAKE. 

he  could  fa&ten  the  tail  to  the  tree,  he  could  then  go  U 
work  with  a  sapling,  and  beat  the  s&ake  to  death  at  hia 
pleasure. 

He  was  a  ready  fellow,  Groot  Willem,  and  a  few  mo- 
ments sufficed  him  to  mature  his  plans.  He  chanced  to 
have  a  strong  "  cord  "  in  the  ample  pocket  of  his  jacket, 
which  would  serve  to  effect  the  very  purpose,  if  he 
could  only  manage  somehow  to  make  it  fast  to  the  tail. 
Tius  he  proceeded  to  do  at  once. 

Straddling  the  snake,  so  as  to  hold  it  partly  between 
his  knees,  he  was  enabled  to  loop  the  cord  tightly  around 
it,  and  the  thing  was  done.  In  a  minute  more,  the  other 
end  of  the  cord  was  tightly  knotted  around  the  trunk  of 
the  tree ! 

Groot  Willem  now  broke  off  a  sapling,  determined 
either  to  beat  the  hinder  half  of  the  python  to  a  jelly, 
or  make  it  surrender  and  show  its  head ! 

He  had  not  delivered  the  third  blow,  when  it  adopted 
the  latter  alternative;  and  the  whole  of  its  body  now 
glided  rapidly  back  out  of  the  crevice — so  rapidly  tliat 
Groot  Willem  was  not  able  to  avoid  the  onset  of  the 
enraged  reptile,  and  the  next  moment  he  was  gathered 
within  its  coils ! 

So  quick  was  the  act,  that  he  scarce  knew  how  it  had 
been  accomplished.  He  saw  the  head,  with  its  open 
jaws  extended,  dart  towards  him ;  he  sprang  vo  one 
•ide,  but  felt  the  cold  scaly  body  against  his  limbs  as  if 
pulling  him  towards  the  tree ;  and  the  moment  aftei,  he 
was  swept  close  up  to  the  trunk  and  pressed  tightly 
%gainst  it! 

He  had  just  time  to  perceive  that  the  folds  of  the 
•erpent  were  around  his  limbs,  and  also  around  the  trunk 


GROOT    WILLEJI  S    ORE  iT    STRUGGLE 

of  the  tree, — just  time  to  feel  that  they  were  gradually 
tightening  upon  him — when  the  head,  with  its  extended 
jaws  and  terrible  teeth,  eame  right  opposite  his  face,  and 
the  eyes  of  the  monster  gleamed  right  into  his ! 

A  horrid  spectacle  it  was — a  horrid  situation  he  was 
in  ;  but  Groot  Willem  was  not  the  boy  to  lose  either 
courage  or  presence  of  mind ;  and,  finding  his  arms  still 
free,  he  clutched  forward  and  seized  the  reptile  by  the 
threat.  To  hold  its  head  was  just  as  much  as  he  was 
able  with  both  hands  and  with  all  his  strength  ;  but  he 
held  with  the  grasp  of  despair.  Fortunate  it  was  for 
him  that  the  tail  of  the  python  was  secured  by  the 
rheim,  and  it  was  thus  held  fast  at  both  ends !  Had  it 
been  otherwise — had  either  head  or  tail  been  free,  so  that 
it  could  have  used  its  power  of  constriction — in  a  few 
seconds  more,  Groot  Willem  would  have  been  crushed 
as  he  had  seen  the  little  antelope.  But  now  that  both 
tail  and  head  were  fixed — the  one  by  the  cord  and  the 
other  in  the  strong  grasp  of  the  hunter — the  serpent 
was  unable  to  exert  its  terrible  power ;  and  its  folds 
remained  loose  around  the  limbs  of  its  intended  victim! 

It  writhed  its  neck,  and  wriggled  its  body,  and  changed 
the  spiral  rings  from  one  part  to  another, — but  all  in 
vain.  It  could  do  him  no  harm  ! 

How  long  this  terrible  struggle  might  have  lasted 
would  have  depended  upon  how  long  the  strength  of  th« 
two  could  have  held  out.  Gi  oot  Willem  could  not  free 
himself  from  the  folds  of  his  antagonist,  as  both  his  legs 
were  bound  to  the  tree ;  and  had  he  dropped  the  head 
«f  the  python  for  a  moment,  he  knew  it  would  crush 
him  to  death.  The  snake,  on  the  other  hand,  could  no*, 
free  itself,  as  it  was  held  fast  at  both  extremities. 


8  WITH  THE  SNAKE 

What  was  to  be  the  result  ?     "Which  would  be  the 
queror  ? 

The  serpent  must  have  conquered  in  the  end  ;  though 
it  might  not  have  been  able  to  free  itself,  as  its  tail  was 
fastened  to  the  tree.  But  Groot  Willem  was  not  able 
to  strangle  it,  with  all  the  compression  he  was  exercising 
upon  its  throat,  and  his  strength  would  have  yielded  in 
tima.  Most  certainly  would  he  have  fallen  a  victim,  but 
for  a  plan  that  he  at  length  adopted  to  set  himself  free. 

During  all  the  continuance  of  the  fight  between  him 
and  the  serpent,  he  had  not  attempted  to  use  his  knife, 
He  had  not  thought  of  such  a  weapon  against  such  an 
enemy.  Not  dreaming  that  he  would  be  brought  into 
close  quarters,  he  had  almost  forgotten  that  he  carried  a 
knife.  By  good  fortune  he  had  one,  and  it  was  in  his 
belt.  Even  though  one  or  two  folds  of  the  snake  were 
around  his  breast,  he  could  see  the  handle  of  the  knife 
above  them ;  and  making  a  sudden  grasp,  he  laid  hold 
of  it,  and  drew  it  forth. 

The  blade  chanced  to  be  almost  as  keen  as  a  razor; 
and  although  the  serpent  now  succeeded  in  twisting  its 
head  partially  free,  before  it  could  tighten  its  folds,  the 
sharp  edge  of  the  knife  had  half  severed  its  body  in 
twain ! 

A  second  gash  was  made  in  another  part,  and  then  a 
third  and  still  deeper  one ;  and  the  resolute  hunter  had 
the  gratification  to  see  the  spiral  rounds  that  threatened 
his  destruction  fall  off  and  drop  heavily  to  his  feet ! 

In  a  short  while  the  python  lay  dead  upon  the  ground; 
at.d  Groot  Willem.  although  he  felt  that  he  had  secured 
a  great  triumph,  left  the  spot  with  some  regret  that  he 
bad  spoiled  the  si  in! 


THK   HONET-GDIDE    ANI>    HONET-EATEB.       319 


CHAPTER  LI. 

T1IE   HONEY-GUIDE  AND   HONET-EATEB. 

GROOT  WILLEM'S  adventure  was  acknowledged  bj 
all  to  be  the  most  wonderful  that  had  occurred  to  any  of 
them — even  surpassing  that  of  Hendrik  with  the  rhinoc- 
eros— and  for  a  good  while  it  continued  to  be  the  sub* 
ject  of  camp  conversation. 

During  the  expedition,  every  one  of  the  party  had 
either  performed  some  grand  feat  or  fallen  in  with  a  re- 
markable adventure,  except  Arend.  It  was  not  that 
Arend  had  less  courage  or  less  capacity  than  the  rest ; 
but,  partly,  because  he  felt  no  inclination  to  put  himself 
in  the  way  of  hunting  adventures,  and  partly  that  the 
chances  had  not  favored  him.  One  adventure  he  had 
fallen  in  with — literal \y  fallen  in  with.  He  had  tumbled, 
horse  and  all,  into  a  pit-trap  set  by  some  savages  fof 
capturing  the  rhinoceros !  Fortunately,  the  sharp  spike 
usually  placed  at  the  bottom  of  these  holes,  had  beet 
removed — else  either  Arend  or  the  horse  would  have 
fared  worse  than  they  did.  Many  a  laugh  had  the  six 
young  yagers  at  Arend's  solitary  adventure.  I  say  six, 
for  Arend  always  good-naturedly  joined  in  it  himsel£ 
Arend  was  not  the  man  for  adventures  in  the  great  wii 
ierness.  Had  it  been  in  the  great  city  instead,  no  doubt 


THE    HONEY-GUIDE   AND   HONEY-EATER. 

his  fine  face  and  handsome  figure  would  have  helped 
him  to  many  a  one  in  the  flirtation  line — had  he  been 
inclined  that  way.  But  neither  did  Arend  care  about 
that.  He  had  but  one  ruling  thought — so  Groot  Wil- 
lem  alleged — and  that  was  to  get  home  to  the  Graaf 
Reinet ;  and  Groot  usually  added  the  reason,  by  giving 
a  wink,  and  a  word  or  two  abcut  "  cherry  cheeks  and 
blue  eyes." 

Arend,  however,  was  not  destined  to  see  home  with- 
out one  other  adventure,  in  which  all  the  rest  had  share, 
and  which  proved  not  only  the  last  they  met  with  during 
that  expedition,  but  was  near  being  the  last  of  their 
lives ! 

They  had  changed  their  camp  from  the  flowery  plain 
to  another  equally  flowery,  though  the  plants  that  blos- 
somed around  were  of  a  very  different  character.  There 
were  geraniums  and  marigolds  in  this  plain,  as  there 
had  been  in  the  other ;  but  here  euphorbias  of  different 
species  predominated,  with  cacti  and  other  succulent 
plants. 

Above  their  heads  towered  the  tree  Euphorbia,  (E. 
grandidens,)  while  at  their  feet  the  melon-shaped  variety 
peeped  forth  from  the  ground.  There  too,  were  several 
poisonous  species ;  among  others  the  Euphorbia  anti- 
quorum  growing  side  by  side  with  the  deadly  belladonna 
lily,  {Amaryllis  belladonna.)  The  young  yagers  seemed 
to  have  arrived  upon  a  spot  of  earth  that  was  almost 
wholly  occupied  with  poison-yielding  plants  ! 

And  yet  it  was  a  lovely  scene.  The  flowers  looked 
as  fresh  and  as  fair  as  elsewhere,  and  their  fragrance 
scented  the  air  around.  Birds  disported  themselves 
among  the  branches  of  the  trees ;  and  bees  hummed 


THE    HONEY-GCfDE    AND    HONKY-EATEB.         321 

and  whirred  over  the  blossoms,  impartvng  cheerfulnesi 
to  the  wild  scene,  and  calling  up  ideas  of  home  that 
were,  at  the  moment,  agreeable  to  the  tired  travellers. 

They  had  just  formed  camp,  and  were  sitting  quietly 
down,  when  their  attention  was  drawn  to  a  bird  that  had 
perched  itself  upon  a  low  bush  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  wagons.  It  was  not  the  beauty  of  this  bird  that 
Attracted  them,  for  its  plumage  was  not  beautiful,  being 
of  an  ashy-brown  color  upon  the  back,  and  gray  below.  It 
was  not  its  size,  which  was  that  of  an  ordinary  finch; 
nor  its  song,  which  was  no  better  than  a  monotonous 
chatter  of  the  syllables  "  Kwi-kwi-kwi-kit."  It  was  none 
of  these  things  that  caused  the  young  yagers  to  give 
their  attention  to  the  bird,  but  its  peculiar  character — 
already  well  known  to  all  of  them.  The  little  bird 
which  sat  upon  the  bush,  starting  from  branch  to  branch, 
jerking  about  its  tail,  and  uttering  the  '•  kwi-kwi-kit," 
was  no  other  than  the  celebrated  "  honey-guide." 

They  all  knew  it ;  for  they  had  met  with  it  several 
times  during  the  expedition,  and  Hans  had  told  them  its 
history.  They  all  knew  of  its  curious  habits ;  how  it 
will  guide  a  man  to  the  nest  of  the  wild  bee,  by  flutter- 
ing before  him  from  bush  to  bush  and  rock  to  rock  until 
it  reaches  the  spot ;  how  it  v/ill  wait  until  the  hive  haa 
been  robbed  of  its  honey-treasure ;  and  then  alight  by 
the  despoiled  nest  to  feed  upon  the  larvae  of  the  bees,  or 
Ihe  fragments  of  honeycomb  that  may  have  been  left! 
They  all  knew  this  of  the  honey-guide,  because  they  had 
followed  one  before  now,  and  proved  the  truth  of  this 
wonderful  instinct,  which  has  been  doubted  by  many 
travellers  as  well  as  naturalists. 

Those  points  of  its  natural  history  they  did  not  kno1* 


322         T1IE    HONEY-GUIDE  AKD    HONEY- EATER. 

of  Hans  had  told  them  of  long  before.  He  had  told  them 
how  the  bird  had  been  classed  among  the  cuckoos,  undef 
the  title  Cwculus  indicator — because  it  shares  with  the 
true  cu  :koos  the  singular  habit  of  depositing  its  eggs  in  the 
nest  of  another  bird  ;  how  other  naturalists  have  formed 
a  genus  for  itself — the  genus  indicator,  of  which  several 
species  are  known ;  h~w  the  bird  feeds  mostly  upon 
honey  and  the  larvae  of  bees ;  and  how  nature  has  given 
it  a  protection  against  the  stings  of  the  old  ones  in  the 
thickness  of  its  skin  :  but  Swartboy  declared,  in  relation 
to  this  matter,  that  the  thick  skin  did  not  always  save  it ; 
as  he  had  often  found  the  honey-guide  lying  dead  by  the 
nests  of  the  bees,  and  evidently  killed  by  their  stings  ! 

All  these  points  in  the  natural  history  of  the  honey- 
bird  were  known  to  the  young  yagers ;  therefore  the 
little  chatterer,  that  had  lit  upon  the  adjacent  bush, 
was  no  stranger  to  tiinui 

And  they  were  all  right  glad  to  see  it,  for  a  certain 
reason — because  they  wanted  some  honey,  and  partic- 
ularly at  that  very  time,  as  their  sugar  had  run  out, 
and  they  had  nothing  to  sweeten  their  coffee  with — a 
privation  to  several  of  the  party. 

All  leaped  to  their  feet,  therefore,  with  the  deter- 
mination to  follow  the  "honey-guide,"  go  where  it 
would. 

They  laid  hold  of  their  arms ;  and,  wha .  was  still 
stranger,  saddled  and  mounted  their  horses,  intending  to 
follow  the  guide  on  horseback  ! 

You  will  wonder  at  this.  But  when  you  hear  that 
khe  honey-guide  often  takes  the  hunter  six  or  seven 
miles  through  the  woods — and  that  not  unfrequently  it 
guides  him  to  the  lair  of  a  lion,  or  the  haunt  of  a  black 


THE   HONEY -GUIDE    AND    HONEI -EATER.         323 

rhinoceros,  instead  of  to  the  nest  of  a  bee — you  will 
understand  why  the  young  yjigors  took  fhese  precautions. 

Just  as  they  were  about  starting  out,  a  very  odd  look- 
Ing  animal  "  hove  in  sight."  It  had  something  of  the 
ippearance  of  a  badger — being  low  set  on  its  legs, 
plantigrade  in  its  hind-feet,  and  with  a  snout  and  tail 
\  ery  like  those  of  that  animal.  Its  color,  too,  and  pelage, 
was  not  unlike  that  of  the  common  badger — a  sombre 
gray  above  and  black  below,  divided  by  a  light 
stripe  running  down  each  side  from  the  ears  to  the 
root  of  the  tail.  In  size  it  was  superior  to  the  badger, 
and  nearly  equalling  in  this  respect  the  American  glut- 
ton, or  "  wolverene,"  which  it  also  resembled.  It  had 
the  general  appearance  of  all  the  animals  of  the  badger 
family — which,  though  few  in  genera  and  species,  is 
represented  by  one  or  two  in  nearly  every  part  of  the 
globe.  The  animal  which  our  yagers  saw,  or  its  species, 
to  speak  more  properly,  was  the  representative  of  that 
family  in  South  Africa.  It  was  the  "  ratel,"  or  "  honey- 
eater,"  (Mellivora  capensis.) 

Now  this  quadruped  was  almost  as  well  known  to  our 
party  as  the  bird.  They  knew  that  its  habits  were 
equally  singular ;  that,  like  the  "  indicator,"  it  possessed 
a  "  *weet  tooth ; "  and  spent  most,  if  not  all  of  its  time, 
in  searching  for  the  nests  of  bees  and  robbing  them  of 
their  honey — provided  the  said  nests  were  in  the  ground, 
where  it  could  tear  them  up  with  its  strong  terrier-claws. 
On  the  other  hand,  when  the  nest  chanced  to  be  in  a 
tree,  they  knew  the  ratel  could  not  reach  it — this  animal 
not  being  a  tree-climber.  On  such  occasions  he  usually 
leaves  the  mark  of  his  claws  upon  the  lower  bark,  and 
this  often  guides  the  Hottentot  hunter  to  a  nest  stored 


324         THE   HONEY-GUIDE  AND    HONEY-EATER. 

with  honey  All  these  things  the  yagers  had  learal 
from  Swartboy  and  Congo ;  and  from  Hana  a  fe\? 
other  facts— such  as  that  the  ratel  is  found  throughout 
all  Africa — that  it  is  formed  by  naturalists  into  a  genus 
of  itself,  like  so  many  other  anomalous  creatures  of  that 
continent — that  its  skin  is  so  thick  the  bees  cannot  pierce 
it  with  their  stings,  so  that  it  devours  their  honeycombs 
without  fear  of  the  buzzing  insects — that  on  account  of 
its  disagreeable  odor  it  is  sometimes  known  as  the 
"  stinking  badger." 

Other  facts  with  which  all  were  acquainted  were, 
that  the  ratel  is  accustomed  to  follow  the  "  honey-guide ; " 
and  that  the  bird  frequently  conducts  the  quadruped  to  the 
hive — very  much  in  the  same  way  as  it  acts  when  fol- 
lowed by  a  man.  It  is  said,  however,  on  such  occasions 
to  fly  lower,  and  to  take  shorter  flights,  lest  the  badger 
might  lose  sight  of  it !  So  says  Monsieur  Verreaux  ! 

Now  it  was  plain  to  the  party  that  the  ratel  was  at 
that  moment  in  pursuit  of  his  profession,  and  in  full 
pursuit  of  the  indicator.  The  interference,  however,  of 
the  mounted  yagers  caused  him  to  turn  round,  aod  make 
off  in  another  direction  ;  and  the  impatient  "  guide," 
having  now  gone  a-head,  was  followed  by  a  much  larger 
« tail." 

On  went  the  little  creature  from  tree  to  tree,  uttering 
its  "  kwi-kwi  -kit,"  and  evidently  pleased  at  its  new  "  fol- 
lowing." On  rode  the  young  yagers  directly  in  the 
wake  of  their  guide. 

Fortunately  they  had  not  far  to  go.  The  more  fre- 
quently repeated  twittering  of  the  bird,  and  the  increased 
excitement  which  the  little  creature  exhibited,  told  the 
hunters  they  were  near  the  nest  of  the  bees ;  and  in  a 


THE  HONEY-GUIDE  AND  HONEY-EATER.    3 

few  minutes  after  the  bird  perched  upon  a  parlicuLi* 
tree,  and  would  fly  no  larther.  In  this  tree  was  thb 
hive ! 

They  could  have  told  that  from  the  fact  that  near  its 
roots  the  bark  was  scratched  and  torn  off  by  the  claws 
of  some  animal — the  claws  of  a  ratel,  of  course — and 
the  amount  of  scratching  showed,  that  more  than  one  of 
these  honey-eating  quadrupeds  had  been  guided  to  this 
place  of  sweets  to  meet  with  bitter  disappointment ! 

A  pair  of  axes,  with  Swartboy  and  Congo  to  handle 
them,  were  now  brought  from  the  camp  ;  the  tree  soon 
fell  under  their  strokes :  the  bees  were  smoked  out , 
and  the  honeycombs — a  fragment  or  two  being  left  as  a 
reward  for  the  services  of  the  "  guide  " — were  carried 
off  to  camp. 

The  store  proved  one  of  the  largest;  and  the  six 
yagers,  as  well  as  their  dark-skinned  attendants,  that 
everarig  enjoyed  a  "  surfeit  of  sweets.* 


CONCLU8IOH. 


CHAPTER  LTI. 

CONCLUSION. 

AND  a  surfeit  of  sweets  it  proved.  Better  for  IheB 
had  they  never  found  that  bees'  nest,  or  had  left  its  con- 
tents to  the  bird  and  the  badger. 

In  less  than  an  hour  from  the  time  they  had  eaten  the 
honey,  the  whole  camp  was  in  a  state  of  the  greatest 
alarm.  Every  one  of  the  party  was  suffering  from  a 
parched  throat,  a  burning  breast,  and  a  loathing  at  the 
stomach.  The  bees  had  been  busy  among  the  blossoms 
of  the  belladonna  and  the  flowers  of  the  euphorbia,  and 
their  honey  was  poison  ! 

It  would  be  difficult  to  depict  the  consternation  that 
was  felt  in  the  camp.  They  had  all  .eaten  of  the 
poisoned  honey — yagers,  drivers,  and  all.  They  had  all 
eaten  plentifully  of  it — for  there  chanced  to  be  plenty — 
and  the  absence  of  a  vegetable  diet  for  some  da}  s  past 
had  sharpened  their  appetite  for  the  honey.  Not  one 
of  them  that  was  not  ill — too  ill  either  to  give  help  or 
consolation  to  the  others. 

Every  one  believed  he  was  poisoned,  and  acted 
accordingly.  Hans  of  all  preserved  most  presence  of 
mind.  He  used  all  his  skill  in  administering  such 
antidotes  as  he  could  think  of.  Purgatives  and  emetics 


CONCLUSION.  327 

"-such  as  they  had  in  their  chests — were  freely  admin- 
istered ;  and  no  doubt  to  these  might  be  attributed  the 
saving  of  their  lives. 

Their  lives  were  saved — the  crisis  passed  without 
proving  fatal  to  any  of  them — but  for  days  their  illness 
continued ;  for  days  the  young  yagers  might  be  seen 
wandering  about  the  camp,  or  sitting  listlessly  around 
the  camp-fire  reduced  to  the  thinness  of  skeletons,  and 
looking  like  the  ghosts  of  their  former  selves! 

So  great  a  shock  had  their  health  received,  that  they 
thought  no  more  of  continuing  their  expedition ;  they 
only  waited  for  strength  enough  to  enable  them  to  set 
out  on  their  return  homeward.  .  Arend's  desire  would 
now  be  fulfilled — he  would  soon  look  upon  the  lovely 
Triiey,  and  listen  to  the  cheerful  music  of  her  voice. 
Hendrik — ardent  hunter  though  he  was — was  equally 
iesirous  to  get  back,  and  lay  his  spoils  at  the  feet  of  the 
blushing  Wilhelmine.  Klaas  and  Jan  longed  for  pud- 
dings and  sugar-plums ;  and  Hans,  who  had  now  made 
a  very  extensive  collection  of  the  flora  of  the  country, 
was  also  willing  to  return 

Only  one — the  great  tireless  loose-boned  giant,  Groot 
Willem — would  still  have  persevered,  and  climbed  over 
the  mountains  that  separated  them  from  the  land  of 
elephants,  buffaloes,  and  camelopards.  Groot  Willem 
would  still  have  gone  on.  nad  it  been  possible  for  the 
others  to  have  accompanied  mm.  But  it  was  not  pos- 
sible, and  the  big  hunter-boy  was  obliged  to  turn  back 
with  his  companions.  It  was  with  a  heavy  heart  that 
he  did  so — for  he  had  for  many  yea^s  entertained  an 
ardent  longing  to  try  his  roer  upon  the  huge  thick 
skinned  quadrupeds  that  now  roamed  far  beyond  the 


328  CONCLUSION. 

frontier  of  the  settlements.  Perhaps  he  faced 
ward  with  the  less  regret,  that  he  had  hopes  of  making, 
at  no  distant  day,  another  expedition  to  the  haunts  of  tfa 
mighty  elephant  upon  the  banks  of  the  lovely  Limpjpc. 

This  hope  consoled  Groot  Willem,  as  he  mounted  his 
huge  horse,  and  rode  after  the  wagons  that  were  already 
inspanned  and  treking  down  the  valley. 

Day  by  day,  as  the  young  yagers  travelled  homewards, 
they  grew  stronger  and  stronger ;  and  when  they  had 
reached  the  Graaf  Reinet,  the  effects  of  the  poisoned 
honey  had  entirely  disappeared — so  that  all  six  arrived 
home  "  safe  and  sound." 

I  need  not  tell  you  that  a  warm  welcome  awaited 
them  in  the  paternal  mansions  of  Van  Wyk  and  Von 
Bloom.  I  need  not  tell  how  lovely  looked  Truey,  and 
how  sweetly  blushed  Wilhelmine  ;  nor  need  I  describe 
the  splendid  "  vrolykeid  "  that  was  given — at  which  all 
the  rich  boors  of  the  country  were  present  to  celebrate 
the  return  of 

«THE  YOUNG  YAGERS." 


THOMAS  R.  KNOX  &  CO., 

817  Bur oacL-s*7-ay7    1ST.  "X"._ 

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SUCCESSORS  TO  JAMES  MILLER, 

817 


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